Allison is a freelance socio-economic analyst specialising in the places, sectors and people of the South West of England. Allison has a degree and PhD in microbiology with ten years’ experience in scientific research. After leaving academia, she spent two years at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and then nine years as an economic analyst for the South West of England RDA. She is currently working part-time as a Research Development Manager at the University of Exeter, as well as studying towards a BSc in Mathematics and Statistics with the Open University.
Allison is an expert in sourcing and analysing official statistics, particularly regional and local socio-economic data, across a wide range of topics – from productivity to business demographics, from Census to exports; and from labour market to deprivation. She has extensive experience in writing briefings and economic articles for the non-expert, as well as in data visualisation using both charts and maps. As well as being an expert in using the SW Regional Accounts, she also has experience in the application of economy-environment modelling to understand the link between production and consumption, and environmental impact across the region.