Skip to main content

Miss Alexis Pala

Research Associate, Y Lab

Cardiff Business School

Overview

Alexis worked in a range of inter-disciplinary and international contexts taking her from the Americas to Spain, the UK, and recently, all the way down to Australia before moving to Wales. She likes to classify her practice as ‘design-informed anthropology’ with the bulk of her previous research experience centered on the human rights of persons with mental disabilities (intellectual and psycho-social). She currently has an insatiable curiosity for complex systems thinking and exploring participatory forms of policy and governance. Come join her monthly local meet up on more inclusive facilitation and collaboration techniques called Liberating Structures - you're guaranteed a laugh!

Alexis frequently contributes to Apolitical. Apolitical connects public servants to the ideas, people and partners they need to solve society’s hardest challenges.

Alexis obtained a BA in Anthropology from the University of Notre Dame, USA (Go Irish!), worked as an assistant in a L’Arche Community in Querétaro, MX, served as a U.S. Fulbright Research Scholar in Chile, and holds an MPhil in Public Policy from the University of Cambridge.  

Research

  • Public policy
  • Participatory methods (co-design and co-creation)
  • Complex adaptive systems 
  • Design-thinking and methods 
  • Innovation (public-sector/social) 
  • Capacity building