My research is about how ideas travel into and through government policymaking. It looks at what makes certain ideas gain traction and become influential over the plethora of other possible contenders.

To explore this, I use the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) theory’s recent popularity in Welsh Government as a case study. The ACEs theory posits associations between certain childhood experiences and poor mental and physical health outcomes in adulthood. It has become an influential policy framing for complex social and public health related issues.

The project is based in sociology and policy studies literatures, specifically engaging with evidence-informed policymaking and science and technology studies. It provides empirical evidence regarding the processes and associated contingencies involved in forming policy from scientific research.