I am a researcher, writer and international policy adviser whose work explores migration, inequality and power. For more than three decades, I have worked across borders and institutions to understand why people move, how policies shape their lives and opportunities, and the inequalities that influence who is able to move, where and under what conditions. I have held senior research and leadership roles in the UK government, universities and the United Nations, and have led major international research programmes across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Much of my work has focused on migration, displacement and inequality, and on trying to bridge the often considerable gap between research, policy and people's lived experiences. More recently, I have begun exploring some of these same questions about power and inequality through food. I am currently writing The Taste of Power: How Five Foods Changed the World, which follows rice, maize, potatoes, tomatoes and apples to explore how ordinary foods have shaped empires, economies, identities and resistance. I live in Italy, where I am also a commercial hot air balloon pilot.