Morag is a lecturer in quantitative social policy, part of the Nuffield funded Q-Step programme to promote a step-change in quantitative social science training. Before returning to academia, Morag was Senior Research and Policy Officer for Barnardos children's charity where she was co-author of a UK 4-nation 12-month qualitative study of families living in poverty. This was preceded by seven years' working for a research consultancy on government projects.
Her current research uses birth cohort data, mainly the Growing Up in Scotland study, to explore the impacts of longitudinal poverty and persistently low and high incomes on children's cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural developmental outcomes and educational transitions. Her research is concerned with the impact of family, peer and social relations on child wellbeing. She is presently conducting longitudinal qualitative research with families affected by Welfare Reform. She is an experienced quantitative and qualitative researcher in relation to socioeconomic inequalities, vulnerable populations and child wellbeing.