Rob is CLOSER’s Knowledge Mobiliser. His role is to increase the visibility, use and impact of longitudinal population studies, data and research within government and parliament and feed evidence into policy and decision making. In May 2020, Rob took on an additional role as Head of the CLOSER COVID-19 Taskforce and is the architect of the COVID-19 Longitudinal Research Hub. 

In February 2021, Rob was awarded a CAPE Policy Fellowship and is currently seconded (part-time) to the House of Commons Scrutiny Unit to help implement the 2017-19 Liaison Committee’s report recommendations on the use of research evidence in Parliament. The main aim of these recommendations is to diversify the research and evidence base used by select committees, leading to a more diverse witness base and more effective scrutiny of government policies.

Prior to taking up the position at CLOSER in 2016, Rob worked in and around government and parliament, including the Ministry of Agriculture, House of Lords, and Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.