About us

Chris has worked across the creative sector both theatrically and in games design – he currently teaches Games where his interests lie particularly in why people play the games they do, what is it that draws them in and keeps them playing – why do certain games appeal? He’s worked in various roles at Brunel as an academic and working around the student experience. In his spare time Chris loves the theatre (particularly interactive / immersive experiences) video games and has pet ferrets!

Chris Cox

Mónica Degen is Professor of Urban Studies at Brunel. Her research examines the development of cities and urban cultures, with a particular interest in power relations and social justice through the prism of experiential urbanism. She has worked in the creative sector with architects, museum practitioners, place branding experts and designers.  Her work has shaped strategies for urban design in London and Barcelona and influenced the curatorial practices of several major museums from Cologne City Museum to the Museum of London. She is the author of Sensing Cities: Regenerating Public Life in Barcelona and Manchester (Routledge, 2004), The New Urban Aesthetic: Digital Experiences of Urban Change (Bloomsbury, 2022 with Gillian Rose - Oxford University) as well as many papers on urban cultural regeneration, cultural institutions and cultural policy. In her spare time Mónica enjoys going to exhibitions, watching films, travelling and the beach.

You can contact her on monica.degen@brunel.ac.uk.

Professor Monica Degen

Hua Dong is Professor in Design at Brunel Design School. She is the UKRI/AHRC SEED Fellow (2023-24) for UK-China Creative Industries Research and Innovation Collaboration. Working closely with eight working group leaders and more than twenty partners in the UK and China, she helped AHRC to identify the collaboration priorities and mechanisms. Hua co-leads Creative Industries for the Association of British Chinese Professors (ABCP). Having been the Dean of the College of Arts and Media at Tongji University (2013-18) and Brunel Design School (2020-24), and as the Vice Chair of Design Research Society (2024-26), Hua is widely connected with arts and design communities. Hua’s research expertise is inclusive design and she has provided specialised consultancies to Which?, Reckitt Benckiser, Active Life Village, Morning Glory Group, Ant financial, Zurich Design Museum and local governments. Hua has edited more than 10 books on inclusive design, and creative industries, for example Design for Inclusivity (2007), Inclusive design: Chinese Archive (2019) and Collaboration in Creative Industries: Insights from the AHRC’s UK-China Research and Innovation SEED Fellowship (2024).

You can contact Hua on hua.dong@brunel.ac.uk.

Professor Hua Dong

Dr Isobel Ward supports academics, industry and practitioners to develop impactful partnerships and collaborative research opportunities together. Isobel originally trained in architecture and has worked on small and large projects from the design consultation phase to delivering buildings on site, and coordinating with clients, consultants and artists. She has worked in research and engagement roles for charities, on academic projects, and as a freelance project manager. Her experience in working with cultural institutions and arts practitioners, in combination with social sciences and humanities academic research, means she is able to work across disciplines and sectors to strengthen industry-academic partnerships.

If you have collaborative projects you would like to discuss, are seeking academic expertise or are looking to link up with external partners, please email isobel.ward@brunel.ac.uk.