Dr Leona Vaughn PhD

Personal Statement

Leona gained her PhD in June 2019 from University of Liverpool Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology. Her thesis is a sociological qualitative, multi-phase inquiry into how practitioners imagine and operationalise the safeguarding 'risk-work' for identifying and working with ‘childhood radicalisation’ (PREVENT). She has extensive experience as a professional and academic researcher in the field of equalities and social justice in public and charity sectors in the UK and operating internationally.

Awarded a Derby Fellowship for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Research Theme of 'Slavery & Unfree Labour' in January 2020, Leona undertook a leave of absence as the Vulnerable Populations Lead at the Finance Against Slavery & Trafficking initiative at United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (2021-2024). Her expertise is the development of innovative and inclusive interdisciplinary approaches to addressing and mitigating harm in the design and delivery of research and knowledge production, addressing issues of coloniality, power and marginalisation.