IDRIC Team
IDRIC’s team works closely with stakeholders and supports the wider IDRIC community in delivering the Centre’s goals.
Prof Mercedes Maroto-Valer OBE
Champion and Director
As well as Champion and Director of IDRIC, Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer (FRSE, FIChemE, FRSC, FRSA, FEI) is Deputy Principal (Global Sustainability) and Director of the Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS) at Heriot-Watt University. RCCS is a world leading multidisciplinary centre delivering innovation for the wider deployment of low-carbon energy systems required for meeting net zero targets. She has held appointments at the University of Kentucky (1997-1998), Pennsylvania State University (1998-2004) and University of Nottingham (2005-2012).
Her internationally recognised track record covers energy systems, CCUS, integration of hydrogen technologies and low carbon fuels. She has over 550 publications, has been editor of 4 books and 15% of her publications are in top 10% most cited worldwide. Mercedes holds leading positions in professional societies and editorial boards and has received numerous international prizes and awards.
Dr Clare Howard
Centre Manager
As IDRIC’s Centre Manager, Clare supports the Centre Director in leading and managing the development of IDRIC into a world-leading research and innovation centre. Tasked with ensuring the successful delivery and future sustainability of the Centre she oversees the workplan and management of the Central Team as well as liaising with members of the management and governance bodies, partners and stakeholders.
As an experienced programme and project manager on large-scale collaborative, multi-stakeholder publicly funded projects, Clare has worked extensively on interdisciplinary research projects involving stakeholder and policy engagement with diverse sets of stakeholders from around the world. She has an MSci Geoscience degree from Royal Holloway, University of London and a PhD in long-term carbon cycle modelling from University of Edinburgh.
Charlotte Plews
Knowledge Exchange, Research and Impact Associate
Charlotte communicates and disseminates IDRIC’s research to partners across academia, policy, and industry through effective knowledge exchange and collaboration to ensure ongoing and future cross-sector expertise and innovation. Charlotte has extensive experience delivering interdisciplinary insights and synthesised research to policymakers, professionals, and researchers in numerous sectors, including the Scottish Higher Education sector and government clients. She holds Master’s degrees in English Literature from the University of Sheffield and in International Relations from the University of St Andrews.
email: c.plews@hw.ac.uk
Mehal Patni
Knowledge Exchange, Research and Impact Associate
Mehal helps develop, synthesise, and promote IDRIC’s research and knowledge exchange activities across diverse stakeholders. Her current area of focus includes disseminating and advancing research on decarbonising maritime shipping in the UK.
Previously, she has worked with community-centric approaches to just transitions and ground-level research on social and environmental issues in both India and the UK. Her educational background includes an MSc in Social and Cultural Psychology from LSE as well as an MA in Public Policy and Governance from India.
email: m.patni@hw.ac.uk
Dame Heather McGregor
EDI Champion
Professor Heather J. McGregor is the Provost and Vice Principal of Heriot-Watt University Dubai. Previously the Executive Dean of the Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University, as well as a Professor of Management Practice, Professor McGregor is a qualified accountant and had an earlier career in investment banking, and then spent 17 years as an entrepreneur prior to her move into higher education. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In 2010 Professor McGregor was a co-founder of the 30% Club, which seeks to increase female representation on public company boards, and she also founded the Taylor Bennett Foundation which offers opportunities for minority ethnic graduates. She was awarded a CBE in 2015 for her services to business, especially diversity in the workplace.
Debatri Gupta
Policy Research and Impact Associate
Debatri is responsible for contributing to the policy aspects of IDRIC’s portfolio of work through research and analysis. Debatri has a background in Policy and Governance, having worked in the social policy space in India. She has completed her postgraduate degree in Climate Change Policy from the University of Sussex, focusing on CCUS policies in Europe.
email: d.gupta@hw.ac.uk
Sampurna Roy
Policy Research and Impact Associate
Sampurna works on various aspects of IDRIC’s policy portfolio as Policy Research and Impact Associate. She is responsible for gathering, analysing and translating research to deliver policy outputs.
Sampurna has an educational background in Politics and Economics and holds an MSc in Political Economy from the University of Strathclyde. She has a professional background in parliamentary policy, having led policy research in one of the UK’s busiest parliamentary constituency offices as well as evaluating major national projects for the British Council.
email: s.roy@hw.ac.uk
Dr Isobel Marr
Business Engagement, Communications and Impact Manager
Isobel leads IDRIC’s Business and Impact team, driving impactful engagement with stakeholders to ensure the centre delivers long-lasting economic growth and societal benefit. She works closely with partners across the business community and leads the development and delivery of IDRIC’s regional impact strategy.
Isobel was previously IDRIC’s Knowledge Exchange Manager, where she oversaw knowledge exchange across IDRIC’s 100 research projects, translating research outputs into insights for industry and policy stakeholders. She also has experience working directly within industrial clusters through her role as Net Zero and Innovation Manager at Forth Green Freeport. Isobel holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Edinburgh.
email: i.marr@hw.ac.uk
Jil Sheth
Partnerships and Engagement Manager
As Partnerships and Engagement Manager, Jil plays a key role in developing strategic partnerships with industry, academics, and other stakeholders to advance IDRIC‘s mission. She is responsible for identifying and securing new collaborative research, funding, and knowledge exchange opportunities that support IDRIC’s goals.
Jil has a background in construction and town planning. She is currently pursuing a PhD related to policymaking and transfer and is a winner of multiple international and national awards for her designs.
email: j.sheth@hw.ac.uk
Barbara Viskić
Communication and Knowledge Exchange Officer
Barbara’s role focuses on the communication and promotion of IDRIC’s research findings, developing IDRIC’s Knowledge Hub into the ‘go-to’ online resource for cutting-edge knowledge on accelerating industrial decarbonisation. Through engaging content creation, she tells the compelling stories of IDRIC’s impact on the decarbonisation of industry sharing research findings across all our stakeholders; promoting IDRIC’s research via social media and other communication channels.
She holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Zagreb, Croatia.
email: b.viskic@hw.ac.uk
Gill Watson
Executive Assistant to IDRIC Director
As Executive Assistant to the Director of IDRIC, Gill attends to the day-to-day functions that are part of the Director’s role, so that the Director can focus on leadership and strategy not only for IDRIC, but also for the Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS) and as Deputy Principal for Global Sustainability at Heriot-Wat University. Working previously in the NHS as a Service Manager, Project Co-ordinator and a number of other roles, in the Scottish Funding Council and in the retail sector as a Buyer and Marketing Manager, Gill has experienced various workplace environments, traditions and cultures.
email: gill.watson@hw.ac.uk
Rory Chapman
Partnerships and Engagement Manager
Rory leads on developing and maintaining IDRIC’s strategic relationships across industry, academia and government. He works to identify and deliver collaborative opportunities that advance IDRIC’s research, innovation and policy impact.
Rory has a background in external affairs and outreach, with experience in parliamentary roles at the House of Commons and the House of Lords, as well as in public affairs consultancy. Prior to joining IDRIC, he led the delivery of the Scottish Advisory Forum on Europe (SAFE), convening partners to strengthen collaboration between Scotland, the UK and European institutions, where he facilitated “Team Scotland” civil society delegation visits to Brussels to engage with EU stakeholders.
Rory holds an MSc in Global Environment, Politics and Society from the University of Edinburgh.
email: r.chapman@hw.ac.uk
Zia Holloway
Executive Assistant to the Centre Manager
Zia is the Executive Assistant to the Centre Manager for IDRIC, Dr Clare Howard. She supports the manager with her administrative needs and assists in the day-to-day operations and schedule for Dr Howard.
Zia works closely with the wider team to fulfil a supportive role in IDRIC’s mission to deliver green transformation within the UK industry and the development of IDRIC as a world leading research and innovation centre.
Zia has a varied background, including working as a PA within the television industry and an administrative assistant on a sustainable farm. In her spare time she writes for film and television.
email: z.holloway@hw.ac.uk