Updates on our research, collaborations and exciting contributions from the scientists and experts at The James Hutton Institute.
You can also stay connected with our science by following us on social media, by following us, you’ll get real-time updates on our projects, events, and collaborations. Follow us on X, LinkedIn and Facebook now.
Simone has a multidisciplinary background that embraces scientific, social and economic aspects of natural resources and ecosystems, addressing the valuation
I have an Msc in Environmental Anthropology from the University of Kent, Canterbury and a Bsc in Life Science from St Xaviers College Autonomous, Mumbai. My interests are very broad ranging from social inequality, environmental justice to natural resource conservation. Some of my previous work looks at topics like social media inequality in environmental activism, and cultural resistance of South-Asian migrants in the UK.
I am also an artist and have illustrated a children’s book and am keen on making all research more accessible through art and video.
Naomi Beingessner is a social researcher in the Social Economic and Geographical Sciences Department (SEGS) and a member of the
Diana Valero is a social scientist working as MDT Fellow in Rural Water Security working in the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences (SEGS) research group at the James Hutton Institute.
Her educational background is in political science, local development and rural policy.
Prior to joining The James Hutton Institute in 2021 she carried out postdoc research at the University of Stirling and in the Centre for Mountian Studies at the University of the Highlands and Islands. Diana earned her PhD from the University of Valencia in Spain.
I am agricultural and rural economist working in the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences (SEGS) department of the James Hutton
I am a qualitative social scientist in the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences Group, joining in 2018. I have a background in human geography, and enjoy research in rural areas working with different land users in the countryside. My current role explores rural migration across Scotland, digitalisation amongst small-scale farmers and crofting communities in Scotland, agricultural innovation, and the continued impacts of Covid-19 on rural and island communities in Scotland.
Leanne is a Senior Social Scientist within James Hutton Institute SEGS group. Her expertise lies in the social and economic
Ruth joined the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences Department as a social scientist in 2017. Her research focuses on rural and island communities and what helps them to thrive – socially, economically and culturally. Ruth currently works on projects that aim to support a green and resilient recovery process, including coordinating action research-based case studies in rural and island communities across Scotland.
I am an environmental economist with a background in ecology. I am interested in environmental conservation, and particularly how this integrates into multi-use landscapes, and how to include the needs of varied stakeholders. I use methods such as stated preference modeling and cost-effectiveness analysis to consider available options for land management, taking account of socio-economic as well as environmental needs.
