Dr Ioanna Akoumianaki

I am a biologist and catchment-to-sea scientist. My research career has taken me from the deep sea to estuaries and river catchments, tracing the flows of carbon and nutrients and exploring how ecosystems build resilience in the face of change. Over time, I stepped beyond the disciplinary boundaries of my training and expertise to work at the science–policy interface, ensuring research evidence informs environmental decision-making and contributes to sustainable futures across land, water and sea. 

I joined the James Hutton Institute in 2013 to work at the interface of water policy and science. As a Senior Science–Policy Specialist, I led evidence synthesis across multiple projects and worked with water industry stakeholders in Scotland, the UK and internationally. This role focused on translating research into legislation and practice and embedding evidence into decision-making.

Today, as Policy and Impact Officer for SEFARI Gateway and the Agile Policy Centre within UKRI’s Land Use for Net Zero, Nature and People Hub, I act as a boundary spanner whose core purpose is impact delivery. I am linking government priorities to research insights, co-developing agile responses to policy needs, advancing policy living labs as spaces for shaping integrated approaches to sustainable land use, and tracking how policy needs evolve into impact through clear pathways that connect research with decisions and practice.