Dr Katie Ledingham

Katie is a Senior Lecturer in Responsible & Transformative Innovation within the Department of Management, in the sub-department of Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship (ITE). An interdisciplinary social scientist with an MRes and PhD in Human Geography, Katie’s teaching and research transforms innovation studies to contribute to a more sustainable, just and equitable future for people and planet. With Professors Sarah Hartley and Richard Owen, Katie developed and led the writing of ‘Rethinking Innovation: Alternative Approaches for People and Planet’ (2024) – a student textbook which cultivates critical thinking and practical approaches to reconfiguring innovation for systems change. The book has been described as a ‘must have for instructors and practitioners in unusual times’ and ‘those committed to action in government, business, civil society or academic, could not hope for a more insightful, inspiring and pragmatic companion.’ It opens up ‘new narratives for innovation that change and increase the scope of the innovation concept itself' into cultural and institutional change, and social life and social order.

Katie’s work is underpinned by the growing recognition that responding to some of today’s most pressing challenge issues including sustainability transformations requires collaborative and inclusive innovation approaches, new business models and new forms of cross-sectoral engagement and partnership working. Katie works across disciplines and geographies. With colleagues in Mali she has investigated co-development as an innovation strategy and model of collaboration. She has worked in conjunction with a variety of industry, business, and policy maker partners including WHO Europe. She is currently one of four Academic Leads for the Environmental Intelligence Network.

Prior to her current post as Senior Lecturer in ITE, Katie was a Programme Manager/Senior Research Fellow on the ENLIVEN project - a cross-institutional, multi-partner programme working to co-produce dementia friendly innovations in the visitor economy. She is a PRINCE 2 Practitioner. Before this, she held a variety of positions including as lecturer and postdoctoral researcher on interdisciplinary innovation projects. She has been PI, Co-I and collaborator on a number of interdisciplinary grants.   

Katie is experienced in curriculum development at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. A fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Katie has also taught in the area of Ethics and Responsible Innovation and led Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Design for MRes students at Exeter.

• Hartley. S., Smith, RDJ., Kokotovich, A., Opesen, C., Habtewold, T., Ledingham, K., Raymond, B., Rwabukwali, CB., (In Press). Ugandan stakeholder hopes and concerns about gene drive mosquitoes for malaria control: new directions for gene drive risk governance. Malaria Journal https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-021-03682-6
• Hartley, S., Ledingham, K., Owen, R., Leonelli, S., Diarra, S., Diop, S., 2021. Experimenting with co-development: a qualitative study of gene drive research for malaria control in Mali. Social Science and Medicine https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113850
• Ledingham, K and Hartley, S., 2021. Transformation and slippage in co-production ambitions for global technology development: the case of gene drive. Environmental Science & Policy. 116, 78-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.10.014
• Ledingham, K., Hinchliffe, S., Jackson, M., Thomas, F., Tomson, G., 2019. Antibiotic resistance: using a cultural contexts of health approach to address a global health challenge. WHO Europe.
• Hartley, S., Thizy, D., Ledingham, K., Coulibaly, M., Diabaté, A., Dicko, B., Diop., S., Kayondo, J., Namukwaya, A., Nourou, R. Toé, LP., 2019. Knowledge Engagement in Gene Drive. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007233

Projects

• Co-I. GCRF UKRI Facilitation Fund. Strengthening gene drive governance for malaria control in Africa.
• Co-I. QUEX. Global gene drive governance for climate adaptation and conservation.
• Co-I. British Academy. Co-developing Ecological Risk Assessment across Disciplines and Borders: Gene Drive Mosquito Field Trials in Uganda.
• Collaborator. Wellcome Trust. Talking about gene drive.

Qualifications:

• PhD Human Geography
• Masters of Research (MRes) in Critical Human Geographies (Distinction and Dean’s Commendation)
• BA Human Geography (First Class)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)