•      Participatory research methods
•      Poverty
•      Social security reform especially Universal Credit
•      Equality issues, especially disability and gender, impact assessments
•      Policy-making process

Current academic research projects

Social security and social justice 

Seeing regulation differently - Productive Margins: Regulating for Engagement  

Life Chances - Productive Margins: Regulating for Engagement

Marilyn is a Honorary Research Associate with the University of Bristol Law School, working on projects including : social security and domestic abuse across the four nations of the UK; using 'ficitional' judicial review to raise gender equality issues. 

She also worked on the ESRC-funded Productive Margins: Regulating for Engagement programme.

Previously she worked on policy and research at the national Women’s Aid office, and was also employed by national disability organisations in similar roles. Other employment includes the Department for Work and Pensions, the Office for Disability Issues and the Disability Rights Commission. As an independent social policy analyst she undertook consultancy for organisations such as the International Social Security Association, the Institute for Public Policy Research, Fawcett Society, Child Poverty Action Group, Carers UK and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Marilyn was a researcher to an MP, has been a specialist advisor to two parliamentary select committees and membership of government advisory bodies on disability. She has also worked for a local authority and in community organisations in Leicester and Oxford.  

Marilyn is currently a member of the Social Research Association and a member of the Women's Budget Group.