Dr Jay Burns

Research Fellow

Background

I completed an MSc in Ecosystem Services at University of Edinburgh before undertaking a PhD with the University and SRUC looking at resilience of dairy cattle under future climate scenarios, with links to formulating practical breeding objectives. Immediately after my PhD, I worked as a Research Associate at SRUC, during which time I maintained an interest in both social and natural sciences: looking at consumer perspectives of post-Brexit agricultural policy and further climate impact assessment (of UK beef production) using a life-cycle assessment (LCA) model. Generally, I have a wide range of interests in food systems research, particularly with respect to livestock production, and using a range of methodologies including simulation-based modelling, econometrics and carbon footprinting. I enjoy coding and am proficient in R. Currently working on the UKRI funded 'TRADE' project, which aims to identify and test transformational scenarios of future livestock systems using social science approaches (e.g. stakeholder mapping) and simulation modelling (e.g. agent-based modelling).