Lesley Henderson

Lesley Henderson joined the University of Strathclyde in 2022 as Professor of Science Communication, recruited under the Global Talent Programme and founded the Social Dimensions of Plastics doctoral training centre. She held previous posts as Reader in Social and Political Sciences (Brunel University London where she was founder/leader of the Sustainable Plastics Research Group), as well as teaching and research posts at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Glasgow.

She has an extensive track record in communications for social change (public health, science & environment) and her research is currently focused on (micro)plastics. She is co leading work packages on public perceptions and behavioural change concerning plastic pollution in Indonesia as a member of piscespartnership.org and addressing interactions with plastics packaging and global plastics policy in UK, Spain and Germany (projects funded by NERC/GCRF/UKRI/European Space Agency).

Lesley is an expert in leading interdisciplinary challenge focused research and regularly provides policy advice to UN, EU and DEFRA. She is a member of the new UKRI Interdisciplinary Assessment College, peer review college for the European Science Foundation and panel member for strategic UKRI and Science Foundation Ireland programme calls. She is also frequently invited to provide independent scientific advice for industry and business.