I am an applied geospatial and behavioural data specialist working at the intersection of academic research and evidence-based policy. My work brings together statistical modelling, machine learning, GIS, and remote sensing to turn complex spatial and behavioural data into clear, actionable intelligence for strategic decision-making.

I currently sit between academia and a professional analytical career — comfortable producing peer-reviewed research, but increasingly focused on delivering analysis that supports planning, risk assessment, and community resilience in the real world.

Currently: Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Environmental Intelligence, University of Exeter — designing spatial and statistical analyses for environmental planning and Environmental Delivery Plans in partnership with Natural England and local planning authorities. (Updated May 2026.)

What I work on

At the Centre for Environmental Intelligence I design and lead complex spatial analyses that integrate behavioural, environmental, demographic, and remotely sensed datasets. The work supports evidence-led environmental planning: assessing environmental risk, modelling the impact of development scenarios on protected sites and communities, and identifying future pressures relevant to long-term policy. A large part of the role involves translating technical findings into clear briefings for government agencies, local authorities, and interdisciplinary partners.

Research background

My PhD (Computer Science, University of Exeter, 2021–2025) sat at the intersection of urban planning, data science, and computational social science. I built analytical workflows combining large-scale mobile phone mobility data, app usage data, remote sensing, GIS, and machine learning (Elastic Net, Random Forests, geographically weighted models) to identify environmental, infrastructural, and behavioural drivers of inequality, vulnerability, and urban activity. Two pieces of that work — on gender differences in urban vibrancy and on app usage as a signature of urban behaviour — are listed under Publications.

Before the PhD I spent time as a Research Data Officer at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, managing sensitive clinical research datasets under Good Clinical Practice and NHS governance — experience that shapes how I approach data ethics and governance in everything I do now.

Get in touch

The best way to reach me is by email at t.collins5 [at] exeter.ac.uk, or via LinkedIn. My CV and Google Scholar profile have the longer story.