With a diverse career in research and consulting that has spanned the US, the UK, Singapore and Australia, Abby has conducted research, program evaluation and communications work across a range of projects and clients. She has a strong working practice of quantitative and qualitative methods and extensive experience with surveys, interviewing and facilitating focus groups. 

Abby has an undergraduate degree in neuroscience and history from Harvard (USA). She obtained an M.Phil. in Criminological Research at Cambridge University (UK). Abby returned to Cambridge on a Gates Scholarship for her PhD, which she is currently completing.

Her doctoral research is a study of three residential therapeutic programs in US prisons which analyses the key elements for fostering positive social environments in prisons. The study points to the importance of implementation in understanding ‘what works’ in reducing reoffending, arguing that how programs are implemented is as important as how they are designed. Abby has also collaborated in an interdisciplinary study of the impact of ‘green’ design, architecture and programming in prisons.

Prior to working with BWA, Abby has served in a number of research, teaching and consulting roles. This includes designing and teaching courses in the fields of psychology and criminology at Cambridge University, conducting behavioural research with cotton-top tamarins at Harvard’s Cognitive Evolution Lab, conducting doctoral research as a part of Cambridge’s Prison Research Centre and serving on the board of a venture capital firm. In her previous role as a consultant at First Person Consulting, Abby worked on a range of projects including evaluating programs aimed at social connectedness for the Movember Foundation and evaluating school-based obesity prevention programs for ACT Health.

* Social inclusion, social connectedness and social disadvantage; 

* Prison sociology, narrative criminology and religious life in prisons; 

* Feminist theory;

* Biophilic design and justice architecture;

* Understanding the elements of 'enabling environments', that promote well-being and social connection