RACHEL COOPER

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DESIGN


BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Rachel Cooper is Distinguished Professor of Design Management and Policy at Lancaster University. She is founding Director of ImaginationLancaster, http://imagination.lancaster.ac.uk an open and exploratory design-led research centre conducting applied and theoretical research into people, products, places and their interactions. Her research interests cover: design thinking; design management; design policy; and across all sectors of industry, a specific interest in design for well-being and socially responsible design. She has published extensively on these topics, including books, 'Designing Sustainable Cities', 'The Handbook of Wellbeing and the Environment',  ‘Living in Digital Worlds’; and ‘Design for Global Challenges and Goals’.  An academic leader with 20 years research experience and collaboration with industry partners. Rachel Cooper has led large interdisciplinary research programmes related to design. She has attracted over £25m in research funding in the past 10 years, much of which has focused on the future of cities and human and planetary wellbeing. Professor Cooper has undertaken several advisory roles to national and international universities, government and non-governmental organisations. She was a Lead Expert for the UK Government Foresight programme on the Future of Cities (2013-2016), was on the UK  Academy of Medical Sciences Working group addressing ‘The Health of the Public 2040’ (2015-16), Commissioner and Chair of Built Environment Subcommittee of the Oxford Commission for Creating Healthy Cities 2022, a UK representative on the ICSU Scientific Committee for Health and Wellbeing in the Changing Urban Environment, and is a  currently a Chair of the UK Prevention Research Partnership, Scientific Advisory Board. She is also series editor of the Routledge series Design for Social Responsibility. She was founding editor of The Design Journal and also founding President of the European Academy of Design. She is President of the Design Research Society. Rachel was awarded the OBE by the Queen for services to education in 2013.