Over the past few years I have been fortunate to work with colleagues, friends and comrades in projects including EnJUSTICE, Decolonising the City, CUPP, Transcapes, PURSI, Nutricities and the Welcoming City.

What these diverse research endeavours hold in common is a drive to understand how cities and their often transient populations face up to the polycrises of our times.

Radical Urban Lab

In 2021 I co-founded the Radical Urban Lab with Dr Vanessa Schofield (University of Leeds). As co-Director, I help steer our collective research into alternative urban practices, focusing on equity, solidarity and decolonial perspectives. We convene workshops, curate public exhibitions, and publish open-access reports to foster collaborative, actionable scholarship.

Supervisees & Collaborators

I am immensely honoured to have recently, or currently supervise and work with a fantastic group of colleagues:

• Dr Nerina Boursinou (Surrey) Migrant trajectories and digital ICT methodologies.
• Josh Hazelbower Land tenure, economic inequality and Indigenous–state relations in Coast Salish territories (Canada).
• Ewan Jenkins Historical and contemporary analyses of commune movements.
• Andreas Makris Techno-logistical transformations at the Port of Piraeus, Greece.
• Nour Matar is a Global St Andrews and Macquarie Doctoral Scholar examining migrant integration and governance in Egypt, Australia and the UK.
• Dr Giorgos Mattes Digital policing practices in Sweden (STATUS project).
• Dr Rowan Milligan Gender, squatting and resistance amid the UK housing crisis.
• Christopher Murray Gentrification and rural housing pressures in Scotland.
• Dr Evie Papada Humanitarian border regimes, with case studies in Lesbos and the UK.

University Court

As a Senate Assessor on University Court (2025-2028), I bring an academic perspective to St Andrews’ governing body.

Contact

Whether it is academic/supervision, RUL, Senate/Court matters or else, I am always happy to be contacted via e-mail. Please check vrad.is for more information on ongoing research projects, writings, photographs and more.