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Prof. Paul Behrens

Paul Behrens is British Academy Global Professor at the University of Oxford. His research and writing on climate, energy, and food, has appeared in scientific journals and media outlets such as the BBC , The Guardian, Thomson Reuters, Politico, Nature Sustainability, Nature Energy, PNAS, Joule, Nature Food, and Nature Communications. He is an editor and author of the interdisciplinary textbook Food and Sustainability (Oxford University Press, 2020).

His popular science book, The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Futures from the Frontiers of Climate Science (Indigo Press, 2021) describes humanity’s current trajectory and possible futures in paired chapters of pessimism and hope. Paul won International Champion in the Frontiers Planet Prize in 2023.

The Reapra Research Fellowship is supported by Reapra.

Annegeke Jansen

Annegeke Jansen is a PhD candidate in Beyond GDP at the Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University. Annegeke participates in the WISE Horizons project with the goal to embed Beyond GDP thinking into the European and global policy agenda. Her research focusses on the measurement of sustainable and inclusive wellbeing, challenging traditional economic indicators and models.

Before starting her doctoral studies, Annegeke worked at the Ministry of Finance in the Netherlands. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Philosophy, as well as a Master’s in International Economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam.

The Reapra Research Fellowship is supported by Reapra.

Alexandra Kirienko

Alexandra is a behavioural scientist currently working on her PhD in Psychological and Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics specialising in work wellbeing, working arrangements including hybrid work, and inclusion. Her research spans behavioural economics as well as organisational psychology and management. Alexandra is passionate about bringing insights from academia to corporates and working with organisations to help them make data-driven decisions. She is an ex-investment banker and holds a Master’s degree in Behavioural Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ben Wealthy

Ben is the Head of Policy and Public Affairs for the World Wellbeing Movement.

After completing an undergraduate degree in the Politics and Sociology of Contemporary Culture at the University of East Anglia, Ben worked as a caseworker and campaigner for Gareth Thomas MP. He has spent most of his career occupying policy and communication roles in the third sector, including at the Patients Association, BookTrust and Scope. He joined the WWM from the Association of Directors of Public Health, where he was Head of Policy, Practice and Public Affairs.

Ben has previously served as a local Councillor in Harrow and held governance roles as Vice Chair of Relate North West London, Hertfordshire, Mid Thames and Buckinghamshire and as a trustee of Relate’s national board.

Harriet Goss

Harriet has recently joined the team as an Executive Assistant, supporting both Sarah Cunningham and the wider World Wellbeing Movement.

She has previously worked within the University of Oxford, in an Events/Administrative Apprentice role with the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, and more recently with Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust as part of the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Team.

Prior to working at CAMHS, Harriet completed her undergraduate studies in (BSc) Psychology in Education at the University of York, and in 2023 was awarded the ‘Jones Prize’ for achieving the highest dissertation mark in her cohort for her thesis titled: “Man Up”: Male Undergraduates’ Perspectives of Male Mental Health, and the Barriers That Surround It.

Rebecca Shames

Rebecca Shames is a Research Assistant at the Wellbeing Research Centre. She has recently completed an MSc in Sociology from the University of Oxford, with an interest in using qualitative research methods to address social inequalities and improve emotional wellbeing.

Prior to her degree at Oxford, Rebecca was a Research Assistant at Harvard Graduate School of Education. During her time in this position, she worked on data collection for a longitudinal study exploring the impacts of Pre-K programmes on cognitive development and emotional wellbeing of children in disadvantaged neighbourhoods of Boston, Massachusetts.

Grace Cheong

Grace is a Research Assistant at the Wellbeing Research Centre and an MPhil student in Sociology and Demography at the University of Oxford. Her research interests lie broadly in the inequalities of wellbeing and health across the life course. Prior to the start of her MPhil, Grace received her Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sociology from the National University of Singapore and worked for several years as a research associate examining wellbeing among older adults in Singapore.

Barry Grimes

Barry coordinates the annual publication of the World Happiness Report, the world’s foremost publication on global wellbeing and human progress. Working in partnership with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the editorial board, he promotes the latest research on global happiness and how to increase it.

Barry is an experienced comms and events specialist, working across the public, private, and non-profit sectors for over 15 years. In 2019, he helped to create the Happier Lives Institute, a charity evaluator that compares the impact of international NGOs using subjective wellbeing measures. In 2022, he was part of the organising team for the Wellbeing Research & Policy Conference in Oxford. Most recently, his work at the International Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders has supported greater collaboration across the sector.

Barry studied Combined Social Sciences at Durham University and has a Postgraduate Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. He leads the Action for Happiness Cotswolds group and has taken the Giving What We Can pledge to donate at least 10% of his income to effective charities.

Yoel Sevi

Yoel is a Research Assistant at the Wellbeing Research Centre focusing on what makes us happy at work. He previously completed an MMathPhil in Mathematics & Philosophy at the University of Oxford and worked as a Research Assistant at Saïd Business School, building predictive models of the labour market. Outside of academia, he has been a strategy consultant at Bain & Company and a Product Manager for two start-ups.

Charlotte Day

Charlotte is a Marketing Officer supporting the World Wellbeing Movement. She has previously worked in multiple roles within a Higher Education context and has a Psychology BSc from the University of Sussex.

Studying during the COVID-19 pandemic, Charlotte’s research investigated the impact of the pandemic and consequent university closures on the grade attainment and learning experiences of students from different socioeconomic status households.