Discussion

Rika is Research Culture Manager at the University of Warwick and co-lead of the Research Professional Futures project, where she leads the Culture workstream. Her work focuses on improving research environments. At Warwick, she contributes to the University’s research culture strategy and initiatives, overseeing more than 120 grassroots projects through the Enhancing Research Culture fund. She also leads Warwick’s Interdisciplinary Research Spotlights programme team, supporting interdisciplinary capacity building across strategic themes.
Rika’s background is in biomedical research (PhD in Microbiology, Imperial College London), and she brings over a decade of experience in research project management and research development. She believes thriving research environments depend on diverse roles and contributions. She founded and leads the Research Culture Enablers Network (RCEN), an initiative of the National Centre for Research Culture that develops cross-institutional solutions to research culture challenges.

Rika works nationally and internationally to advance research culture and research professional careers, including as co-chair of the first International Research Culture Conference, PRISM Network committee member, co-investigator on a NERC-funded project widening access to research careers, advisory member on two Wellcome-funded projects, and co-lead of the Outreach workstream for the Precarity in Research Network.