Rebecca joined the team as Project Coordinator in 2023. She is an interdisciplinary social researcher with a background in Sociology, Gender Studies, Cultural Studies and Public Health. Rebecca’s research has focused on young people’s substance use, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations. Prior to joining the Contextual Safeguarding team at Durham she was Research Associate at Newcastle University in the Population Health Sciences Institute. She has also worked at Sydney University and The University of New South Wales. At Newcastle, she worked on studies concerned with the health and well-being of care-experienced young people, including the NIHR-funded SOLID (Supporting Looked After Children and Care Leavers in Decreasing Drugs and Alcohol) pilot trial. In this large, mixed method, co-participatory study Rebecca worked closely with local authorities and regional Children in Care Councils to develop interventions aimed at decreasing substance use and improving mental health outcomes among looked after children and care leavers aged 12+. She has published worked in places such as Child Abuse and Neglect, The Sage Handbook of Drug and Alcohol Studies, and Contemporary Drug Problems.