Freelance Researcher, Writer and Editor

July 2008 - present

Projects have included:

• Writing reports on the welfare of animals farmed for fur; the history and future of farm animal welfare in the UK to mark the 20th anniversary of the RSPCA Freedom Food scheme; zoonotic disease and human health; feather-pecking in laying hens; animal cloning; the welfare of pigs in the EU; housing systems for laying hens; and the trade in live cattle from the EU to the Middle East. 
• Reviewing the scientific literature on the welfare of wild animals in circuses; environmental and anthropogenic effects on the welfare of wild cetaceans; the welfare of animals during transport and slaughter; the welfare of laying hens; the welfare of dairy cows and calves; and the welfare of farmed rabbits. 
• Analysis of markets for better meat and dairy products in the EU; farm assurance scheme standards in the UK, EU and US; nutritional properties of higher-welfare vs intensively-farmed animal products; environmental and climate impact of animal products from various production systems; productivity and feed conversion efficiency of various animal species/production systems; global trends in organic agriculture; animal protection legislation around the world; EU legislation on the protection of farmed animals and laboratory animals; circus animal bans around the world; antibiotic use in food production; planning documents for proposed farming developments; and company policies on animal testing, dairy cow housing/grazing, egg sourcing, foie gras, and feather and down sourcing. 
• Compiling/calculating EU, national and international statistics on laboratory animals; fur animals; farmed animal production; farming systems; animal products consumption; fisheries; and trade in live animals and animal products. 
• Writing consultation submissions on badgers and bovine TB; the welfare of game birds; the welfare of pigs; broiler chicken legislation; slaughter legislation; and food policy in Scotland. 
• Writing other materials including fact sheets, briefings, case studies, leaflets, funding bids, press releases, articles and web copy. 
• Fact-checking, editing and proofreading of numerous documents, communications and conference proceedings. 

Research Officer, Compassion in World Farming

River Court, Mill Lane, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1EZ

May 2002 - July 2008 

Research to inform strategy decisions; analysis of data and scientific, legal, policy and planning documents; writing of campaigning, lobbying and educational materials; management of projects, external consultants and volunteers; proofreading and editing, including organisation-wide responsibility for factual accuracy of all published materials and communications; responding to enquiries from staff, media and the public; monitoring of scientific journals and other information sources; representing the organisation at meetings, stakeholder groups and conferences.

Science Technician, St Anne’s Convent School

Rockstone Place, Southampton, Hampshire SO15 2WZ

Oct 2001 - Apr 2002

Preparation and maintenance of experimental equipment and assisting students with project work.

Science Technician, Broadway Community High School

Broadway, St Helens, Merseyside WA10 3RY

Feb 2001 - Aug 2001

Duties as at St Anne’s Convent School.

Assistant Scientific Officer, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Monks Wood, Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28 2LS

June 2000 - Aug 2000

Work placement during MSc course. Ecological surveying, data analysis and report writing.