Professor of Social Psychology and Director of the Lancaster Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (L-PACE) Mark Levine has been appointed to the College of Experts at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

The DSIT College of Experts is a network of independent specialists who provide rapid, flexible advice to support science and technology policy across the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Members volunteer up to five days a year to support government work, from short advisory conversations to workshops and peer review.

Professor Levine was among 71 members selected through a competitive process that attracted nearly 1,200 applications.

“I'm delighted to be joining the DSIT College of Experts. So much of the challenge in Science and Technology policy isn't just technical — it's about how people understand, trust, and behave around new technologies. I look forward to bringing a social and behavioural sciences perspective to DSIT's work, helping ensure that policy is grounded in a clear understanding of human behaviour as well as scientific and technical evidence."

Professor Chris Johnson, DSIT Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the College of Experts, said: “The launch of the College of Experts at the Royal Society brought together an extraordinary group of independent specialists from across the UK, spanning AI, quantum, life sciences, cyber security, and far beyond. The experts volunteer their time to support us, reflecting a real commitment from the UK’s research and innovation community to contribute to government policymaking. Seeing DSIT colleagues and world-leading academics and practitioners in the same room was a powerful reminder of what this department can achieve when it draws on the best available expertise.”