Meet the team
Our team has a broad range of experience and can support you to build new relationships and networks.
View the following information about each team member’s role, to find the right person to contact. To get in touch, email the Horizons Institute team at horizons@leeds.ac.uk
In addition to our team, we also have a group of interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral experts that help to inform our policies and direction, and who sit on two distinct boards: our International Advisory Board, with a cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary membership of colleagues external to the University of Leeds, and our Internal Oversight Board of academic and professional services colleagues at the University of Leeds.
You can find information about these boards, including membership, on the Horizons Institute International Advisory Board page.
Samantha Aspinall, Head of Interdisciplinary Research Development
Samantha is Head of Interdisciplinary Research Development at the University of Leeds. In the Horizons Institute, she leads on the Global Academy, an opportunity for University of Leeds and international colleagues to develop their interdisciplinary skills and ideas together.
Samantha is part of the leadership team of the Future Leader Fellows Development Network. She also sits on various UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) panels and is a panel member for the UKRI Future Leader Fellows (FLFs). Samantha previously sat on the Bioscience Skills and Careers Strategy Panel, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Doctoral Training Panels and most recently, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) PhD review Group.
Kuldip Banger, Business/Project Support Officer
As Business/Project Support Officer at the Horizons Institute, Kuldip provides administrative support to the Horizons team, and manages the Crucible programme.
Kuldip previously worked with the University of Leeds’ Central Human Resources team and Organisational Development & Professional Learning (OD&PL) team, has been a University mentor for more than five years, and is a member of the Sustainability team.
Kate Kellett, Joint Acting Head of Interdisciplinary Research
Currently acting co-Head of Interdisciplinary Research, alongside Abi Rowson. Kate is one of four research managers at Horizons Institute, and works with academics in the development and support of interdisciplinary networks, to address key research challenges, and to facilitate links with external partners to foster collaborative working.
Kate has a background in academic research, most recently as a Research Fellow at Manchester University, where she worked and published on research projects linked to Alzheimer’s disease, Vascular Dementia and Cardiovascular disease. She enjoys science communication and has delivered a number of public lectures including at the Leeds Pint of Science Festival 2022 and for the Alzheimer’s Research UK Lab Notes series.
Poppy Leeder, Research Manager
Poppy works with academics to support them to engage with each other, and external partners, to tackle research challenges.
She has a background in Research Support and for the Yorkshire Integrated Catchment Solutions Programme (iCASP). Before joining the University she worked for two of the UK’s Research Councils and was also a Regional Liaison Officer for a Member of the European Parliament.
Abi Rowson, Joint Acting Head of Interdisciplinary Research
Currently acting co-Head of Interdisciplinary Research, alongside Kate Kellett, Abi is also one of four research managers at the Horizons Institute. In these roles, Abi supports new interdisciplinary networks across the University, facilitating programmes and events with internal and external partners and helping academic colleagues come together and respond to global research challenges.
Abi has held several successful roles in research management and development. As manager of the Wellcome-funded Centre for the Humanities and Health at King’s College London, she helped bring academics, medics, and artists together in an interdisciplinary research programme The Boundaries of Illness. From September 2023 Abi will be on secondment for one day a week to the Policy and Intelligence Team at Leeds City Council where she will be building on the collaborative research partnership between the two institutions.
Find Abi Rowson's profile on LinkedIn
Dave Riley, Research Manager
Dave is currently seconded to Horizons Institute from Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE) where he worked extensively on promoting an inclusive culture around the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL). Dave has a PhD in Diplomatic History and has previously worked as an Employability Officer and a Student Engagement Officer at the University of Leeds.
View Dave Riley’s profile on LinkedIn
Inés Soria-Donlan, Research Manager
Inés is one of four research managers at the Horizons Institute. In this role, Inés supports academics to engage with each other and external partners in meaningful and inclusive ways, to spark groundbreaking ideas for tackling global challenges.
With a background in supporting creative education and grassroots communities to lead transformative social change, Inés has worked nationally and internationally across the academic, cultural and development sectors. She was most recently Project Manager of Changing the Story, a four-year international, multi-disciplinary action research project that explored the role of creativity and civil society organisations on youth leadership. She is also Chair of South Asian Arts UK.
View Inés Soria-Donlan's profile on LinkedIn
Stuart Taberner, Director
Stuart has held different teaching, research, and managerial roles in the School of Modern Languages, the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures, and across the University. Most recently, he was Dean for Interdisciplinary Research, helping to stimulate new research collaborations involving colleagues from across the campus and beyond.
Previously a Director of Interdisciplinary and International Research at UKRI, Stuart is a researcher specialising in German literature and Jewish studies, and directs Praxis.
Read Stuart Taberner’s academic profile
Karis Welch, Communications Manager
Karis oversees the strategic communications of Horizons Institute and Policy Leeds, managing multi-platform engagement, developing content, and supporting the development of communications from affiliated bodies across the University of Leeds.
With a background in higher education and third sector communications, Karis is also a former print journalist and sub-editor.
View Karis Welch's profile on LinkedIn
Lauren Wray, Manager
As manager of the Horizons Institute, Lauren manages the day-to-day operations, including coordinating budgets, overseeing governance structures, implementing appropriate systems and processes, developing partnerships across and beyond the University, and managing reporting.
Previously Project Officer at Changing the Story (CTS), she also led on the recruitment, co-design, and coordination of the CTS Youth Research Board, a group of 11 young international researchers and leaders. Lauren has also worked on Praxis, working with partners including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS).