Professor Mark Levine appointed to DSIT College of Experts

1 July 2026 08:40

Professor Mark Levine

Mark Levine, Professor of Social Psychology, Director of the Lancaster Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (L-PACE) and Director of Research at Lancaster University’s Psychology Department, has been appointed to the new DSIT College of Experts, a network of independent specialists who will give the Department fast, flexible access to leading scientific and technical expertise.

“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 Mark Levine, Director of the Lancaster Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (L-PACE) & Professor of Social Psychology

The College was formally launched on 18 June 2026 at the Royal Society in London, bringing together members from universities, industry and research institutes across the UK. Mark is one of 71 members selected through a competitive process that attracted nearly 1,200 applications. Members volunteer up to five days a year to support government work, from short advisory conversations to workshops and peer review.

“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.” — Professor Chris Johnson, DSIT Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the College of Experts

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.

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“What excites me most about the College of Experts is the chance to connect with specialists across disciplines and share knowledge. I'll be drawing on my own networks in social and behavioural science, policing and security research, while learning from colleagues in AI, quantum and beyond. Bringing different kinds of expertise into the same conversation is what will make the biggest difference to how government approaches science and technology policy"

Professor Mark Levine, Director of the Lancaster Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (L-PACE) & Professor of Social Psychology