People

Her research focuses on gamified environments to help organisations understand complex systems and gamification as a new approach to improve organisational performance. Her other stream of research focuses on using gamification to improve social and environmental sustainability, especially in more deprived and impoverished communities in developing counties. She has worked with rural communities in Colombia, Indonesia, and Brazil and has recently published a book on systems thinking.

Piera’s current research focuses on the role of imagination in innovation and entrepreneurship to create new possible futures. She combines ethnographic, archival, and participatory methods with complex systems and network approaches to conduct interdisciplinary and innovative research. She has worked with technology- and innovation-driven start-ups, scale-ups and corporate ventures in the biomedical, digital, and humanoid robotics fields. For example, in the last ten years, she has been involved in the transformation of regional ecosystems driven by digital entrepreneurship and innovation, with a focus on the role of accelerators, financial support programmes and other policy initiatives in early-stage starting up in Italy and Spain. Moreover, she has expertise in the co-evolution of health technology, practices, and organization in medical devices and the wider health-tech industry, and has undertaken several collaborative projects on policymaking in the areas of science, technology, and innovation (STI), entrepreneurship and public health.

In his research, Jakov is interested in what defines and shapes relations between institutions, organisations and individuals. He investigates these questions in different institutional and empirical contexts, from higher education and business schools, to the theoretical and empirical exploration of ageing in the workplace.

Since 2021, he has been a member of the Core Team that manages a £2 million Supporting Healthy Ageing at Work (SHAW) project funded by the UKRI Healthy Ageing Challenge as part of the Social, Behavioural and Design Research Programme. Since 2023, he has been involved in Caring for carers: innovating for workplace health and wellbeing support project, funded by UKRI Healthy Ageing Catalyst Award. In these projects, Jakov co-ordinates activities across disciplines and sectors to conceptualise and develop digital health interventions for supporting work in mid to later life.

Inna is an economic anthropologist and interdisciplinary researcher focused on the global political economy of agri-foods and fisheries. Her work explores sustainable rural livelihoods, climate change, and environmental justice in the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean. Recently, she has explored gamification and game design as tools for engaging communities, fostering knowledge exchange, and supporting solution-oriented decision-making for policy engagement.

Kirsty is a food systems researcher and science communicator who explores creative methods, including games and playful learning, to support sustainable and inclusive food futures. She is currently completing her PhD at the University of Edinburgh, where her research focuses on how values and framing influence transformative pathways in the UK livestock sector. Kirsty combines participatory scenario building with text mining, framing analysis, and other qualitative and quantitative techniques to unpack complex trade-offs and diverse stakeholder perspectives. She also employs playful learning approaches to promote dialogue and engagement around sustainability challenges. As Communications Manager for TRAnsforming the DEbate about Livestock Systems Transformation, a UK Research and Innovation-funded project, she leads the development of innovative strategies to translate research into impact through engaging knowledge exchange materials, public events, and interactive tools.

Dave is a software engineer, technologist and systems thinker. He is current role is Innovation Strategist at the Global Research, Innovation and Discovery Centre (GRID) at Heriot-Watt University. His main interest is understanding and healing the “crisis of perception” at the heart of our contemporary ecological poly-crises through the philosophy, ontology and epistemology of systems thinking. He is a game and XR developer, and experienced software developer using modern microservice architectures and cloud platforms. He holds a diploma and post graduate certificate in Systems Thinking in Practice (STiP) and is studying for the MSc in STiP at the Open University

Gimhan has been using systems thinking and system dynamics both in his research since his PhD and teaching. He is a Policy Council member of the UK Chapter for System Dynamics (SD) and has experience in SD modelling and simulation. He is currently working on developing a project 'The Neglected Actors Of The Scottish Construction Industry - Co-designing Pathways Towards Net-zero With SMEs Through Participatory Systems Thinking'. He has an ambition to make it scalable to the whole UK level and focus on the entire Built Environment+Energy sector and perhaps include it as part of a large UKRI programme grant.

He uses systems thinking in his teaching in Shaping Tomorrow Together course. The students are introduced to the net-zero challenge and systems thinking and they are required to produce a systems map connecting the key elements of the net-zero challenge in the construction sector. He is passionate about using systems thinking and SD for complex problems in the built environment.

Elma holds an MEng degree (first class honours, 5-years ptychio) in Civil Engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), as well as a joint PhD in Material Science-Mechanics-Civil Engineering from the Grenoble Institute of Technology (France) and in Petroleum Engineering from Heriot-Watt University (HWU), which has grounded her research in experimental mechanics, material science, and non-destructive testing. She had research contracts in France (INPG Enterprise S.A.) and afterwards in Germany (German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam) as a PDRA in the EU-GEISER Project (Geothermal Energy FP7-ENERGY-2009). During her postdoctoral training, she researched, among others, seismology and risk management. Moreover, Elma developed a keen interest in the role of public acceptability on green energy storage and extraction (e.g., deep geothermal), which inspired her to become one of the HWU Leads in Public Engagement.

Elma leads the Earth Materials and Processes for Sustainable Development (EM-π) research group at IGE. Her research team's mission is to advance knowledge of the experimental and computational mechanics of earth materials (Hard Soils and Soft Rocks, Rocks) and artificial materials that mimic nature, to achieve the NET ZERO Goals (green energy storage, sustainable cities, zero waste and circular economy). Elma’s research group is particularly interested in community engagement via informal science learning and interaction with community groups, as well as in policy, to make their research findings more accessible to the public and policymakers.

Abhishek Behl is an Associate Professor at Keele Business School, Keele University, UK. He has earned his second Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, where his research is in the area of crowdfunding and gamification. He holds a rich experience of teaching, research and consultancy. He has taught subjects like Marketing Analytics; Gamification for Business; Marketing Research and Qualitative Data Analytics. He has also served as a Senior Manager- Research at Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship, IIM Ahmedabad. His research is in the areas of gamification and strategy, human-computer interaction, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. He is a President of Special Interest Group (SIG)- GAME of AIS. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Global Information Management; Journal of Global Marketing; Journal of Consumer Behaviour; International Journal of Manpower; Journal of Cases on Information Technology & Assistant Editor of Technology Forecasting and Social Change.

Future Positive Consulting help organisations committed to business excellence to develop effective strategy, and the socio-technical systems and management capability they need to achieve sustainable success.

Future Positive Consulting help organisations committed to business excellence to develop effective strategy, and the socio-technical systems and management capability they need to achieve sustainable success.

Socks Off Studio (Socks Off Games) is an Independent Game Studio and Game design/Serious Games consultancy based in Scotland. The studio advocates for the transformative power of games as an avenue for meaningful action and change and aims to achieve meaningful societal impact through its range of entertainment games and partnerships with research organisations. It’s founder, Dr Sandy Louchart received the Ph.D. degree in computer science from University of Salford, Salford, U.K., in 2006. He is also currently a Research Associate in Game Design at the University of Edinburgh Business School. Prior to joining the University of Edinburgh, Sandy led the development and implementation of the BSc (Hons) Immersive Systems Design (Games & VR / 3D Modelling) at the Glasgow School of Art and led/co-led research projects (EPSRC, EC) focused on the theoretical and practical applications of both interactive digital narratives (IDNs) and serious games to domains related to complexity and cyber-security and the design of co-creation processes. His research interests include the design, development, and application of serious games and IDN. His work has been published internationally since 2002 in over 80 conference, journal and book publications.

Samip Dhungel Upadhya is a PhD researcher studying sustainable consumption in fashion. His project utilises gamification as a novel method for consumer research, focusing on how consumers engage with sustainable practices. He is interested in ideas around sustainability and consumption.

Sheida Mohebpour is a PhD researcher studying performance measurement and management (PMM), organisational learning and gamification. Her project utilises gamification as a sociotechnical mediator to improve performance measurement and management practices. She is interested in ideas around PMM systems, organisational learning and gamification.

Nidhi Tripathi is a marketing and communications professional with over 15 years of experience across brand strategy, internal communications, digital marketing, and culture-building. With a background in toy & game design and designing physical spaces, she approaches her work with curiosity, structure, and a focus on how people experience brands from the inside out. At Ericsson and MediaKind, she led global initiatives that brought clarity to brand narratives while strengthening team connection—whether through storytelling-led campaigns, recognition programs, or platforms that reflected real voices. She was closely involved in the transition from Ericsson Media Solutions to MediaKind, working to keep internal alignment and trust intact during a time of change. Earlier in her career, she co-founded two design-led ventures and explored how design, learning, and behavioural thinking intersect—something that continues to shape her work today. She believes in designing systems that feel human, inclusive, and grounded in everyday practice.

Elena applies participatory modelling and game design techniques to foster meaningful dialogue and social learning among stakeholders. Her PhD at the University of Technology Sydney (Australia) explored how gamification can enrich participatory methods providing better stakeholder engagement and reducing cognitive load during the modelling exercises. Prior to that, Elena also completed Erasmus Mundus Master’s in System Dynamics equipping her with systems thinking and simulation modelling skills. She is currently working on projects that leverage these approaches to support energy transition and climate resilience, with a focus on social impacts and vulnerable communities. She has worked across academia, consulting, and international development—including roles at the World Bank and universities in Australia and the Netherlands—blending research with practical recommendations. Her experience spans Australia, Europe, and Latin America, bringing cultural awareness and adaptive methods to complex challenges.

Ben Hanson creates clarity for the most critically-important organisations on the planet. As a Senior Security Strategist and Advisor at Microsoft, he works with the world’s largest Financial Services institutions, guiding them through the complex interplay between business and security objectives, risk, technology, and cultural transformation (HSBC, Barclays, Santander, Lloyds Banking Group, Bank of England, London Stock Exchange, NatWest Group, and many others). He is also a recognised expert in a broad range of security, identity, and cloud technologies. His latest research focuses on the application of systems thinking to cybersecurity. He argues persuasively that the biggest challenges we face in cybersecurity have little to do with attackers or technology, but the siloed, non-systemic ways we think about and approach cybersecurity. He works at every level, from senior leaders to security analysts, to help organisations see and evolve the hidden systemic structures and mental models that are creating the problems we so often attribute to forces beyond our control. He is a frequent keynote speaker and writer on these and related themes, with recent talks at ISACA, SANS, Cambridge University, Oxford University, Cloud Security Alliance, and UK Cyber Security Council.