Dr Ruth Lightbody

Dr Ruth Lightbody is a Senior Lecturer in Politics at Glasgow Caledonian University and a research leader at the Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit (SPIRU). Her work focuses on deliberative democracy and community engagement, particularly in how they can be used to address social inequalities.

Her research highlights the undervalued contributions of women as knowledge producers and evidence providers in policymaking. Recently, she has explored parent and baby groups (playgroups) as vital spaces for knowledge exchange, social capital development and trauma support for perinatal women and families.

Ruth has led projects funded by the British Academy/Leverhulme, the Scottish Government and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. She is currently working on initiatives related to early years care provision in Glasgow and a Whole Family Approach in collaboration with the Scottish Government’s Place Based Social Justice team.