Institute for Science and Society

Role(s): Postgraduate Student

Qualifications

2005 MA Research Methods, The University of Nottingham.

2004 BSc (Hons) Environmental Science, The University of Nottingham.

Past research

I have previously conducted research and maintain an interest in the following areas:

• The environmental justice movement
• The health and environmental risk associated with use of consumer goods, inlcluding chemical related illnesses
• Methods of public participation in environmental decision-making

Current research

I am currently working towards my PhD, which is entitled 'Regulatory Science and Scientific Uncertainty in the Risk Management of Pesticide Residues'. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the underlying assumptions of the models currently in use and evaluate the basis of policy advice on exposure to food borne pesticides, which is being developed in the face of uncertainty created by challenges to the traditional high dose single chemical model. To achieve this, the thesis will draw upon the current STS understanding of regulatory science, risk, uncertainty and expert knowledge. It is hoped that through such an analysis it should be possible to gain an insight into how scientific uncertainty is understood and managed in the creation of public advice and policy and so contribute to the current public and scientific discourses on the safety of pesticides.

Other academic activities:

2007 Tutor for the Post-Graduate Module Qualitative Research: Issues and Methods

2006 - 2007 Convenor of the ISS Animals and Society Reading Group

2006 - 2007 Co-convenor with Martyn Pickersgill of the ISS Thursday Seminar Series

Links:

My Project:

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/iss/research/Current-Research-Projects/Student_projects/Diggle_pesticide.php

ISS Thursday Seminars:

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/iss/research/Weekly-Seminar-Series/index.php

Awards received:

2008 Joint ESRC and The Scottish Government Training Initiative. Awarded to spend 3 months working alongside the Scottish Government's Climate Change Bill Team in Edinburgh.

2007 Universitas 21 Prize Scholarship. Awarded to attend the School of Social Science at The University of Queensland in Australia for one month.

2006 The University of Nottingham Graduate School Travel Prize. Awarded to attend and present at the 4S Conference in Vancouver.

2005 - 2008 ESRC/NERC Three Year Studentship Award.

2004 - 2005 Wellcome Trust One Year Studentship Award.

2004 The John Maddock's Prize. Awarded by The School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham.

Conference papers delivered:

2006 Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S) Conference: ‘Silence, Suffering and Survival’. Vancouver, Canada, entitled: 'The challenge of expertise in chemical related illnesses' .

2005 Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) - Nottingham Conference: 'China-UK Environmental Infrastructure Workshop'. Nottingham, UK, entitled: 'The Environmental Justice Movement'. 

Media summary

I am currently exploring through the use of a sociological framework how scientific uncertainty in the risk assessment of pesticide residues is understood and managed in the creation of public advice and policy.