• Economic evaluation of agricultural and environmental policy
• Economics of natural capital and ecosystem services
• Non-market valuation and cost-benefit analysis
• Natural capital modelling using Bayesian Networks
• Interdisciplinary research of agriculture and the environment

Current projects

• Scottish Government Strategic Research Programme (2022-27): Modelling The Socio-economic, Greenhouse Gas And Natural Capital Impacts Of Land Use Policy And Opportunities – principal investigator
• Scottish Government Strategic Research Programme (2022-27): Understanding The Value Of Scotland's Agricultural Soil Natural Capital – principal investigator
• Scottish Government (2022-23): Supporting an evidence-based approach for Scottish Government engagement on the development of approaches to measure biodiversity- principal investigator

Recent projects

• Joint Nature Conservation Committee (2021-22): Understanding the effects of land management scenarios on reef resilience in Montserrat – principal investigator
• Joint Nature Conservation Committee (2021-22): Developing an inland flood/hydrological system and indicators to monitor and inform land management in Montserrat – principal investigator
• Joint Nature Conservation Committee (2021): Developing a Decision Support Tool to Inform Land Management Scenarios in Montserrat – principal investigator
• South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute (2018-19): Natural Capital Assessment of St Helena – principal investigator
• Global Food Security Programme (2018-21): Sustainable Economic and Ecological Grazing Systems – Learning from Innovative Practitioners (SEEGSLIP) – co-investigator
• Scottish Government Strategic Research Programme (2016-21): Natural Asset Register and Natural Capital Accounts – lead investigator
• Scottish Government Strategic Research Programme (2016-21): Biodiversity management – offsetting and net gain – principal investigator
• European Commission (2016): EU strategy on adaptation to climate change: knowledge assessments - Partner in DG Clima service contract
• Scottish Natural Heritage (2015-16): A review of the social, economic and environmental benefits and constraints linked to wild land in Scotland – project manager
• WWF (2014-15): The benefits to people of expanding Marine Protected Areas
• Committee on Climate Change (2015): Provision of services to review and update the UK agriculture MACC and to assess abatement potential for the 5th carbon budget period and to 2050
• European Commission (2013-15): Natural Water Retention Measures - Partner in DG Environment service contract
• Adaptation Subcommittee (2012-13): Assessing the preparedness of England’s natural resources for a changing climate
• Valuing Nature Network (2011-12): Valuing the impacts of ecosystem service interactions for policy effectiveness – project leader
• Scottish Government (2012-13): Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of biodiversity measures in Scotland – project manager
• Scottish Government Strategic Research Programme (2011-16): Assessing the value of ecosystem services – work package leader
• EU Framework 7 (2011-15): Sustainable farm Management Aimed at Reducing Threats to SOILs under climate change (SmartSOIL)