Professor Claire Helen Quinn

Profile

I am an environmental social scientist with over 25 years of experience working on interdisciplinary projects in Africa, Europe and Asia. My research advances understanding of social-ecological systems focusing on: 1) smallholder livelihood vulnerability, adaptation and resilience; and 2) knowledge and governance for climate smart agriculture. I am interdisciplinary in my approach, drawing on theories and methods from both the natural and social sciences. My research has improved our understanding of the role natural resources in smallholder livelihoods, of institutions in shaping livelihoods and adaptation to climate change, and has advanced practice in stakeholder engagement and knowledge exchange.

Research interests

Recent projects:

• Co-Director – Food Systems Research Network for Africa; FSNet-Africa
• Theme Lead - building policy and practice capacity for translating evidence into pathways for SDG-compliant agri-food systems; GCRF-AFRICAP
• Principle investigator - Harnessing multiple benefits from resilient mangrove systems; Newton South East Asia Partnership Programme (ESRC)
• Co-investigator – African Food Systems Transformation and Justice Challenge Cluster; UKRI GCRF Challenge Clusters Programme
• Co-investigator - linking top-down and bottom-up approaches in climate change adaptation research in sub-Saharan Africa; ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy

Current research students:

• Oliver Bruton (2025-2028) How do different conceptions and practices around Climate Finance impact outcomes for Agriculture and other Land Use (AFOLU) sector climate transitions in Developing Nations? (co-supervised with Jouni Paavola, SRI). EARC WRDTP funded.
• Pip Wilson (2023-2026) What is lost during the process of extinction? (co-supervised with George Holmes, SRI and Alison Dunn, SBS). Extinction Studies DTP funded.

• Agricultural and Food-system Resilience: Increasing Capacity and Advising Policy (GCRF-AFRICAP)
• Food Systems Research Network for Africa (FSNet-Africa)
• Harnessing Multiple Benefits from Resilient Mangrove Systems
• Harnessing multiple benefits from resilient mangrove systems
• RECARE: preventing and remediating degradation of soils in Europe through land care

Qualifications

• PhD, Social Policy and Environmental Management, University of York
• MRes, Ecology and Environmental Management, University of York
• BSc, (Hons) Biological Sciences: Ecology specialism Kings College

Professional memberships

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Student education

I teach at both undergraduate and Masters levels and supervise both undergraduate and Masters Dissertations.

Areas for PhD supervision: I am interested in supervision of students interested in African food systems, climate smart agriculture and smallholder livelihoods, mangrove socio-ecological systems and the links between policy and practice in agricultural systems.

Research groups and institutes

• Environment and Development
• Sustainability Research Institute