Think Full Spectrum

Carl is the Lead Academic at LIS and oversees curriculum design, teaching, and learning. He was previously a Professorial Teaching Fellow of Interdisciplinary Education at UCL and is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Amelia is a social scientist with a background in policy and consulting. She studies how education systems adapt to societal and economic change. Prior to LIS, Amelia taught in the Social Policy department at LSE. She received her PhD from Harvard and her BA from Oxford.

Ed Fidoe is the founder and CEO at LIS. Previously, Ed co-founded a 4-18 school in Stratford called School 21 and the UK’s leading oracy education charity called Voice 21. He also consulted at McKinsey & Co., ran a theatre production company, and played in 80s hit TV show Woof! Ed holds degrees from Imperial and LSE, and has advised institutions including Cambridge, Teach First and Eton.

Chris is a co-founder of several digital start-ups, including Bookatable, and an Advisory Board Member at youth charity Big Change. He has also worked for the executive education consultancy group BTS.

Michael is the Registrar at LIS. In this role, Michael led the team in securing new Degree Awarding Powers. This milestone ensured that LIS was the first Higher Education Institution to begin with the ability to award its own degrees for over fifty years. Michael has set up and run two charities: Causeway Education (focused on supporting access to higher education and the professions) and the LIS Foundation (LIS’s sister charity). Michael sits on the Board of LIS, is a Trustee of Causeway Education, a parent governor of STEP Academy, and holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge. Michael teaches elective modules focused on the narratives of wicked problems.

Anson is a theoretical physicist with a background in building models in condensed matter theory. He specialises in complex systems with many-body interactions. He received his undergraduate degree and PhD from Cambridge University where he was a research fellow and remains an affiliated lecturer. Keenly interested in the pedagogical development of problem-solving skills at the secondary-tertiary interface, he is a trustee of the British Physics Olympiad, and he has also served in middle management in secondary schools.

Ash is an interdisciplinary educator, writer, and consultant. He holds an MBiochem degree in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry from the University of Oxford, an MSc in Environmental Anthropology from the University of Kent, and a PhD in Education for Sustainability from Wageningen University and Research Centre in The Netherlands.

Sir Alan Wilson is an eminent figure in academia known for his impactful contributions to urban and regional geography, mathematics, and higher education policy. After graduating from the University of Cambridge in 1960, he transitioned from theoretical physics to social sciences, focusing on mathematical city modelling. With a distinguished career across prestigious institutions like Oxford and Leeds Universities, serving as Vice-Chancellor for 13 years at Leeds, Sir Alan held key government roles, notably as Director General for Higher Education. He was knighted for services to higher education in 2001. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1994 and as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2006. He authored influential works like "Entropy in Urban and Regional Modelling" and more recently, “Being Interdisciplinary”. Now Director of Research and a Board Observer at LIS, Sir Alan channels his expertise to help create the next generation of interdisciplinary leaders.

Rosita is a UCL BASc graduate living the polymath life with more than one career. She is a self-taught web engineer who loves building with code as well as traditional materials.

Bronwyn is a human behavioural scientist interested in the evolution of social behaviours, particularly music and dance. She completed her DPhil (PhD) at the University of Oxford and has continued her research in evolutionary anthropology and psychology there.

Catalina started her academic journey studying Engineering Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Chile, where she also obtained a MSc in Applied Mathematics. She holds a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Oxford and her current research focuses on nonlinear partial differential equations and their applications. She is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is keen on helping students develop mathematical thinking skills through active learning.

Emma was a Lecturer in Law and Data Science at the University of Birmingham before joining LIS. She also previously taught legal theory, political theory, international law, and philosophy of science at the University of Amsterdam. She holds a Master of Law (LLM) from the University of Cambridge and a BSc in Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics (PPLE) from the University of Amsterdam. Emma is currently completing a PhD in Law at the University of Birmingham, focusing on algorithmic regulation.

James is a computational linguist who uses artificial intelligence to understand the relationship between cognition and culture. He is especially interested in the intersection between interpretive, computational, and experimental methods of inquiry. His research has been funded by the Wellcome Trust, the European Commission, and Innovate UK. Previous to coming to LIS, James worked in Brunel University London, Lancaster University, and the University of Oxford (where he held a Junior Research Fellowship). He is also founding director of Texture AI, a data science company that has had the BBC, Google, ITV, Reach PLC, the UK Cabinet Office and other leading organisations as clients.

Mattia is a philosopher with a background in economics and interests in academic governance and innovation. His work is conceptual and the subject is social philosophy. Over the years, he has sought to connect and integrate concepts of social ontology across a range of intellectual discourses and styles, from cognitive science to theology. Before joining LIS as an Associate Professor, Mattia lectured on the philosophy of the social sciences at LSE and he managed a multidisciplinary program on the human mind in the School of Advanced Study at the University of London. As a postdoc, he held fellowships at Columbia University and the Jean Nicod Institute in Paris.

Lara is a designer who trained in architecture and spatial design in Glasgow, Madrid and London. Lara has worked in academia, city regeneration, government policy, design studios, think tanks and global organisations that are focused on the bettering of people and planetary life. Her interests are in social and spatial justice, spatial design, multilateral partnerships and innovative governance.

James studied languages at Cambridge, then worked for three years in public sector communications, before completing a Masters in English Literature at Queen Mary, University of London, and a PhD in the history of science at UCL. He has taught on the Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences degree programme at the University of Birmingham and the Arts and Sciences programme at UCL.

María Angélica is an artist, who has exhibited her work in cities such as Los Angeles, London, and Cali. She is a founding faculty member at the LIS, where she leads in Prep Culture and Content Creation. Additionally, she is an Honorary Professor at El Bosque University in Colombia, where she was Head of Art from 2015 to 2020. She holds an MA in Art from the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL, and an additional MA in Philosophy and Critical Theory from Kingston University.

Isaiah is an award-winning polymathic creative scholar from Stratford, East London, passionate about belonging, education, and creative expression. His interdisciplinary career spans academia, investment management, law, venture capital, technology, and branding. Recipient of the inaugural Amos Polymath Award in 2021, Isaiah joined LIS in 2019, where he teaches anthropology, design, ethnography, and ethics, while leading the undergraduate and master’s coaching programmes. He completed his undergraduate degree at UCL, LSE, and Harvard, and is currently pursuing a government-funded PhD in anthropology at Oxford, exploring belonging and social mobility among diverse students. Isaiah has collaborated with organisations such as Adobe, Cambridge University, Depop, Airbnb, Hachette, the British Royal Family, and the NHS, and works as a writer, speaker, curator, consultant, and creative strategist.

Duncan has had a nearly 3-decade career in environmental economics and sustainable finance, across academic, non-profit and for-profit institutions. After obtaining an MSc in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (UCL), he spent 8 years as an environmental economist at World Resources Institute in Washington D.C. He then returned to London to act as an investment partner at a leading sustainable investment firm for 15 years. He now writes and lectures on systems thinking and sustainability issues.

Sasha has been the Director of the UK’s Social Mobility Commission since 2019. The Social Mobility Commission is an advisory government body tasked with assessing and improving social mobility across the UK. Prior to this position, Sasha held a number of roles in the cultural and political sectors, including as an advisor to No. 10. She’s passionate about creative education, and oversees the education work of Bold Tendencies, an Arts Commissioning organisation based in Peckham.

From 2010-2017, Mary was Chief Executive of UCAS. Earlier in her career, Mary held executive and non-executive positions in the education, hospitality, food and biotech sectors.

Nikita is a portfolio careerist who is passionate about the intersection of education, anthropology, economics and the future of work. After starting her career at LinkedIn as a Data Analyst, she worked across a number of education tech startups, primarily leading Growth and Partnerships. Nikita has lived and worked across London, Dublin, Chile and Argentina and holds a BA in Spanish and Linguistics from the University of Oxford.

Andrew helped grow Funding Circle, a UK Fintech unicorn, and is now a trustee at Big Education MAT and AskIf. He previously focused on risk management and led the company's operations.

Waqās is the author of the internationally acclaimed book The Polymath (Wiley 2019) and founder of the DaVinci Network. He has edited several volumes for international organisations such as the UNESCO Universal Declaration of Cultural Diversity book (2022). He holds a BSc in Economics (SOAS) and postgraduate degrees in International History (LSE) and Neuroscience (King's College London). Waqas has been Visiting Scholar at the University of Cambridge and Visiting Fellow at the Open University Business School, with research interests including comparative theology, non-Western art, cognitive flexibility and interdisciplinary leadership. Outside of academia, he has been a diplomatic journalist, charity director and entrepreneur.

Kelly holds a BA (English Studies) and BEd (English Language Education) from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She had been a secondary school English teacher for a few years upon graduation, then completed the MA in Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching at KCL. Now trying to settle in the UK, she hopes to start a career in the higher education sector while contributing to the community of Hong Kongers here.

After studying Exercise Science & Psychology at the University of Birmingham, Charlie worked as a Sports Scientist and youth team Psychologist in professional football. He has since applied these performance enhancing methods beyond sport to work with various alternative education start ups, schools and communities across Amsterdam, London and Portugal to deliver training that helped inspire young people and adults to lead more connected and fulfilling lives. Charlie is also lead singer and guitarist for an ambitious but presently unsuccessful post-punk band based in East London.

Gillian Wilson is the CMO at LIS. Before joining LIS she worked at a number of tech start-ups – mostly Fintechs and Proptechs. Before entering the start-up world, Gillian worked in advertising, developing campaigns for brands such as the BBC, Guinness and John Lewis. Gillian studied at Cambridge and spent a sabbatical year as their Student Union President.

Jon studied Economics & Management at Oxford University, before doing an MA in Philosophy at UCL. Prior to joining LIS, he worked in the TV and advertising industry, wearing multiple hats including direction, design, and editing. He designed the TV bible which helped green light Sex Education for Netflix, and has written scripts for Prada campaigns. Jon is passionate about what his next meal will be.

Gráinne studied Journalism through Irish at Dublin City University, beginning her career as a content writer and creator for a student-focused publication before pursuing social media management for an Irish Minister. She has spent the last 3 years designing online courses, MOOCs and micro-credentials for DCU, with a strong focus on Fáilte ar Líne, an Irish Language and Culture MOOC with over 100,000 learners worldwide.

Kathryn graduated from Bournemouth University with a BASc in Sports Therapy and a MASc in Psychology. After graduating she moved to London and worked for over a year in safeguarding before coming to LIS. Kathryn is excited to work with students to shape and create an enriching experience throughout their time with LIS. 

Siffrein studied social sciences at Sciences Po Paris and Princeton University, and management at London Business School and Shanghai’s Fudan University. Prior to joining LIS, he worked on special projects at climate platform Terra.do, international growth at founder community On Deck, fund and portfolio operations at startup accelerator Entrepreneur First, and e-bike adoption at Uber.

Alisha qualified as a Mental Health Nurse in 2014 and has since worked in multiple universities across the UK. She is passionate about working with students in Higher Education and enjoys being part of the student journey, supporting their health, wellbeing and personal development.

After graduating from the University of Kent, Hayley completed a MA in Human Rights and Global Ethics at the University of Leicester. Since then, Hayley has completed the AUA PgCert in HE Administration, Management and Leadership. Bringing almost a decades worth of HE experience to the team, Hayley brings a breadth of knowledge to LIS.

Alvaro is a curious electrical engineer who became a serial ed-tech and social entrepreneur. He spends his life researching and testing better ways of learning to help people develop new skills that could radically improve their lives. He’s got +15 years of executive experience leading Ed-tech startups in Europe and the US. His current company, Minds Studio, works with a network of +50 professionals to empower the leading challenger universities and organisations from around the world, through the creation of communities of practice.

dilber’s biracial background and experiences across Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and the UK shape their global perspective. Passionate about decolonising wellness and dismantling oppression, they explore how trauma intersects with social, economic, and political structures, impacting individuals and communities. dilber guides inclusive yoga and meditation sessions focused on self and collective liberation. With an MSc in International Management from the University of Liverpool, they have built a career in student recruitment, holding leadership roles at Laureate International Universities in Poland, SAE Institute in Amsterdam, and FutureLearn in London.

Emily graduated from the University of Sussex with a history degree, and enjoyed branching out to study modules in forestry, art history, astronomy, and sculpture. She has experience working in international education, widening participation and residential life. Previously, Emily worked for an interdisciplinary dual-degree program in the US.

Adam is a quantitative anthropologist: he applies data science tools and open research practices to better understand human behaviour and its evolution. He convened under- and post-graduate courses in the human sciences at the University of Oxford, where he was Departmental Lecturer in Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, and he taught data science skills across Oxford as a qualified data and software instructor. He holds a BA in Natural Sciences (University of Cambridge), MSc in Human Evolution and Behaviour (UCL), and a DPhil in Anthropology (University of Oxford), alongside a PGCE in Secondary Science.

Anna studied History at university; she has experience working as an A-level History teacher and across nearly all startup functions. She believes that education plays a crucial role in addressing social problems, and is fascinated by the intersection of academic learning and practical employability skills.

Andy studied archaeology at the University of Exeter before doing his MA and then PhD in Archaeology at the University of Bradford. Andy's career has included working in a number of universities in the UK, working on projects including the Research Excellence Framework as well as Institutional Review. Andy is a Quality Assurance Agency Reviewer and focuses on quality assurance and governance.

Anastasia holds a BSc (hons) in French and Mathematics from the University of Leeds. Whilst at Leeds, she was course representative, active in ensuring inclusivity, accessibility, and wellbeing support for students. Anastasia has worked in several care and pastoral roles over the years and in autumn 2022, she completed a master’s degree in Psychology, achieving a distinction.

Matt is an experienced professional in the higher education sector, both in the UK and internationally. He specialises in blending experience design, technology, and organisational efficiency to develop innovative services prioritising learner experience. Currently, he leads the Admissions function at the London Interdisciplinary School, driving the selection of future students. With a strong background in management consulting at PwC and strategic roles at London Business School, Matt brings a wealth of knowledge in customer-led transformation and sustainable education practices.

Niccolo is a behavioural and data scientist. He has a DPhil in experimental psychology from the University of Oxford and previously worked at the MIT Media Lab and the Max Planck Institute. Niccolo’s work in collective intelligence investigates how people and machines work in groups and how collectives can be smarter than individuals. Applications of his research inform how to design better collaboration platforms and governance tools. Niccolo is also the co-founder and Chief Scientist of PSi (https://psi.tech), a collective intelligence platform to rapidly host and analyse online conversations among hundreds of people.

Karen qualified as a Chartered Accountant before completing her MBA with the Open University. She has worked in Broadcasting, Telecommunications and the Music industry as well as running her own accounting consultancy business, specialising in small start-ups. In more recent years she has moved into Education working across both Finance and HR in Primary and Secondary Schools before joining LIS.

Flora holds a degree in Business and Marketing Management. Since graduating, she worked in marketing for a food box delivery startup and the sustainable online grocer, Abel & Cole. Recently, she took a career break to travel, where she spent time volunteering on a farm and walking across Northern Spain.

Kaysara’s work is situated at the science -policy interface and is international, multi-scaled, and collaborative in nature. She holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Bristol, an MSc in Environmental Science with Legislation and Management from Brunel University, and a BSc in Physics from Kings College, London. Kaysara uses interdisciplinary approaches from both the natural and social sciences towards the management and preservation of terrestrial and marine ecosystems mainly through a political ecology lens. She also sits on several expert panels and acts as an advisor for governments, the private sector, and civil society.

Ella is a biochemist, artist, and science communicator. She holds a dual degree in Fine Art and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from Wesleyan University and a MsC in Science Communication from Imperial College London. She is the artist in residence at the Good Science Project, an initiative which explores scientific research culture through community art-making.