I am Professor of Social Psychology in the Department of Experimental Psychology and Tutorial Fellow at Lady Margaret Hall. 

I joined the University of Oxford in 2024, following previous roles at the University of Bristol, Leiden University College, and the University of Hertfordshire. I hold a PhD (2012) and BSc (2008) in Social Psychology from the University of Ulster. 

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), a Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol), and an Honorary Professor at the University of Bristol. 

I am a social psychologist whose research focuses broadly on understanding how to improve intergroup relations in diverse and conflict settings, particularly for youth growing up in deeply divided societies. I use a combination of survey, observational, behavioural, and experimental methods to tackle both basic and applied research questions. I am particularly interested in collaborative field research that applies social psychological theory to shape practice on the ground.

Influenced by my time spent growing up in Northern Ireland, my research centres around the following areas: 

• Segregation: Examining how and why individuals from different social groups interact in everyday life spaces.
• Intergroup contact: Understanding how intergroup contact can be used to reduce prejudice and promote wider individual and societal benefits in conflict and divided societies. 
• Positive societal engagement: Understanding under what conditions individuals engage in pro-social and collective behaviours to promote stronger community relations and build peace.

2024-2027 ESRC Standard Grant (£519,886). "Parallel Lives" 20 Years On: Identifying the Drivers of Interethnic Contact in the UK. PI: Rose Meleady (University of East Anglia), Co-Is: Shelley McKeown Jones (University of Oxford), George Leckie (University of Bristol), Jo Broadwood (Belong Network).

2021-2024: ESRC Standard Grant (£634,748). Shared Spaces: The How, When, and Why of Adolescent Intergroup Interactions. PI: Shelley McKeown, Co-Is: Laura K. Taylor (University College Dublin), David Manley (University of Bristol).