Academic Commentary and Expertise

At Durham, we conduct world-leading research on a broad range of topics, from enhancing global knowledge to developing global citizenship.

Discover our academic experts from across the University who would be happy to talk about their areas of expertise or about their latest research.

Government and International Affairs

Name	Department	Email and contact number	Areas of expertise
Professor Gidon Cohen	School of Government and International Affairs	gidon.cohen@durham.ac.uk +44 (0)191 334 5217 / +44 (0)7515 121167	History of the Labour Party Voting trends Political activism The politicisation of public opinion on climate and environment policy in Britain Party membership and organisation British political history
Professor Nick Vivyan	School of Government and International Affairs	nick.vivyan@durham.ac.uk +44 (0)191 334 5881	British politics Public opinion and elections Quantitative methods Legislative politics Political economy
Dr David Andersen	School of Government and International Affairs	david.j.andersen@durham.ac.uk +44 (0)191 334 2416 / +44 (0)7506 419647	American politics Campaigns and elections Experimental methods Political psychology Quantitative methods Effects of scandals Taking issue positions that diverge from traditional party stances The ways in which higher office campaigns (i.e. the presidency) can affect how voters approach lower-office campaigns (i.e. congressional campaigns)
Professor Patrick Kuhn	School of Government and International Affairs	p.m.kuhn@durham.ac.uk +44 (0)191 334 7204	Electoral integrity and violence, both from a historical and comparative perspective Swiss Politics and instruments of direct democracy (initiatives and referenda)
Dr Juraj Medzihorsky	School of Government and International Affairs	juraj.medzihorsky@durham.ac.uk +44 (0)191 334 7213	Political parties and party systems European party systems Elections and democracy Risks to democracy and party rhetoric Electoral systems and proportionality Statistical evaluation of electoral integrity Central and Eastern Europe
Dr Tessa Ditonto	School of Government and International Affairs	tessa.m.ditonto@durham.ac.uk	Gender and politics Gender in the UK Political behaviour Political psychology Quantitative methods Women and politics How female sterotypes and prejudice can influence political behaviour

International Relations

Name	Department	Email and contact number	Areas of expertise
Professor Anoush Ehteshami	School of Government and International Affairs	a.ehteshami@durham.ac.uk +44 (0)191 334 5662 / +44 (0)7834 147771	National security International relations of the Middle East Ukraine/Russia conflict China’s relations with Europe, MENA and the USA

Name

Department

Email and contact number

Areas of expertise

Professor Anoush Ehteshami

School of Government and International Affairs

a.ehteshami@durham.ac.uk

+44 (0)191 334 5662 / +44 (0)7834 147771

National security
International relations of the Middle East
Ukraine/Russia conflict
China’s relations with Europe, MENA and the USA

Climate, Environment and Energy

Name	Department	Email and contact number	Areas of expertise
Professor Petra Minnerop	Durham Law School	petra.minnerop@durham.ac.uk +44 (0)777 521 2648	Climate change law Net zero policy, targets, plans What the advisory opinion of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) means for the UK International law on climate change
Dr Karen Johnson	School of Engineering and Computer Science	karen.johnson@durham.ac.uk	Health impact of brownfield sites Regenerating brownfield sites using sustainable technology Regenerative agriculture Soil health and climate change mitigation (flooding and drought) Soil health and human health links Adaptation
Professor Jon Gluyas	Department of Earth Sciences	j.g.gluyas@durham.ac.uk +44 (0)7951 274552 / +44 (0)191 334 2302	Carbon capture and storage Petroleum production Geothermal energy Energy transition including hydrogen and helium Net Zero
Professor Simone Abram	Executive Director of Durham Energy Institute	simone.abram@durham.ac.uk +44 (0)774 760 8994	Inclusive energy transitions Energy futures - contested assumptions and visions of the future Energy and planning Energy debates and controversies in Norway UK-Scandinavia policy comparisons Integrated energy services Housing regeneration Social anthropology in the UK
Professor Chris Stokes	Department of Geography	c.r.stokes@durham.ac.uk +44 (0)191 334 1955	Importance of keeping global temperature rises to an average of 1.5 degrees or lower Glacier monitoring Glaciers and climate change Sea level rise Arctic and Antarctica

Law

Name	Department	Email and contact number	Areas of expertise
Professor Thom Brooks	Durham Law School	thom.brooks@durham.ac.uk +44 (0)191 334 4365	British politics Labour Party English devolution Citizenship Criminal justice Immigration Restorative justice Punishment and sentencing
Dr Gemma Davies	Durham Law School	gemma.davies@durham.ac.uk	International criminality such as cybercrime, human trafficking, organised crime, and illegal migration Police investigatory powers Criminal justice reform more broadly
Professor Clare McGlynn	Durham Law School	clare.mcglynn@durham.ac.uk +44 (0)191 334 2837 / +44 (0)7747 008061	Rape law and policy Violence against Women Restorative Justice and Sexual Violence Legal Regulation of Pornography Online abuse including deepfake porn, cyberflashing, intimate image abuse Sexual offending including indecent exposure and policing of rape Pornography regulation including extreme pornography and deepfake porn
Dr Andy Hayward	Durham Law School	a.p.hayward@durham.ac.uk +44 (0)7870 619608	Family law The rights of unmarried couples

Economy

Name	Department	Email and contact number	Areas of expertise
Professor Tatiana Damajanovic	Durham Business School	tatiana.damjanovic@durham.ac.uk	Inflation and growth Macroeconomics Monetary policy Economics of banking Public economics Fiscal policy

Education

Name	Department	Email and contact number	Areas of expertise
Professor Stephen Gorard	School of Education	s.a.c.gorard@durham.ac.uk +44 (0)7921 846948 (mobile) / +44 (0)121 574 2540 (landline) / +44 (0)191 334 8323 (office)	Education and social justice Equity and effectiveness in lifelong education Higher and Further Education Quality of education research Teacher supply and quality School improvements

Name

Department

Email and contact number

Areas of expertise

Professor Stephen Gorard

School of Education

s.a.c.gorard@durham.ac.uk

+44 (0)7921 846948 (mobile) / +44 (0)121 574 2540 (landline) / +44 (0)191 334 8323 (office)

Education and social justice
Equity and effectiveness in lifelong education
Higher and Further Education
Quality of education research
Teacher supply and quality
School improvements

The Worlds, Systems & Creations projection featuring space and planets on The Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics

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