Dr Gülbanu Kaptan

Profile

I joined Leeds University Business School in 2014. I served as the Interim Head of the Decision Research Group in 2020. Between 2021 and 2023, I was the Academic Lead of the LUBS Workload Allocation Management System project, which implemented a single faculty-wide common framework and harmonised process for workload allocation, management, monitoring, and reporting.

My research interests focus on judgement and decision making, with a special interest in risk (benefit) perception and communication, and behaviour change. My transdisciplinary research addresses societal challenges, particularly the adverse effects of climate change on agriculture and food security, such as reduced crop yields and disrupted food supply chains. I integrate knowledge and methods from the academic disciplines of behavioural science, environmental science, and biotechnology by collaborating with both academic and non-academic stakeholders. I apply behavioural science theories and intervention methods to help organisations, citizens, and consumers mitigate climate change impacts by reducing food waste, improving food safety behaviours, and promoting the production and consumption of novel foods.

I am a member of the UKRI ESRC Peer Review College. I have also served as an expert member of the European Commission’s Consumer Food Waste Forum and the FAO’s Working Group on Leveraging Behavioural Science to Tackle Food Loss and Waste.

I have successfully secured significant funding through competitive UK and international funding schemes, such as the UKRI ESRC, BBSRC, Swiss National Science Foundation, and EU-FP7.

External Funding (last 5 years):

--Project Partner for research on Cultivating common societal grounds for innovation in plant breeding. Swiss National Science Foundation National Research Programme on Plant breeding innovation

--Co-I for the project on Healthy soil, Healthy food, Healthy people (H3) (2023-2026). UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund

--PI for research on Understanding social and psychological drivers of food hygiene behaviours in households to develop behaviour change interventions (Nov/23 - March/25). Quadram Institute Food Safety Research Network

--Co-I for the project on Reuse to reduce food waste: understand policy barriers preventing food upcycling. In partnership with Leeds City Council. (Nov/22 – July/23). Research England Policy Support Fund.

--PI for the project on Using citizen science to explore plant breeding and investigate food-chain transparency for novel breeding methods. (2022). UKRI-FSA joint grant https://bit.ly/bbsrc-fsa-citizenscience

--University consultant for the Food Standards Agency’s Kitchen Life-2 project (2021-2023)

--PI for the project on Capitalising on COVID-19 as a Trigger for Positive Change in Food Waste Behaviour (2020-2022). UKRI/ESRC Grant https://bit.ly/foodwastebehaviour

Responsibilities

• Member of the Faculty Research Innovation and Engagement Committee (FRIEC)
• Member of the University of Leeds Climate Plan Research Partnership Committee

Research interests

• Behavioural decision research, with a special interest in risk (benefit) perception and communication and behaviour change applied to the following areas
  • Food waste prevention and reduction
  • Consumer acceptance of novel foods and technologies, including alternative proteins and precision breeding
  • Improving the resiliance of supply chains towards disruptions
  • Improving food safety behaviours at households and businesses

*I welcome contact from prospective PhD candidates interested in any of the above research topics.

Current Postgraduate Researchers:

Chenyi Zhu; Can Cheng; Chuyao Kuang; Dr Steffen Hirth ; Dr Ekin Kosegil

Qualifications

• PhD Business Administration, Faculty of Business Administration, Bilkent University (Turkey)
• MBA, Baskent University (Turkey)
• MSc and BSc Food Engineering, Middle East Technical University (Turkey)

Professional memberships

• Member of the Society for Risk Analysis
• Member of the European Citizen Science Association
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Student education

I am the Winner of LUBS 2017-18 Partnership awards in the category of Best Feedback - the person who provides invaluable and supportive academic feedback, in both content and delivery method, which helps others to develop and excel in their work. I’m also a nominee for the 2018 and 2019 Partnership Awards in the categories of Positive Impact, Inspirational teaching, and Best Feedback

Postgraduate Teaching (current): 
LUBS5253 Advanced Management Decision Making (Module Leader) 

Postgraduate and Undergraduate Teaching (previous): LUBS55582 Research Methods (Module Leader) 2015-2017; LUBS5202 Risk Perception and Communication (Tutor) 2015-2019; LUBS1785 Introduction to Effective Decision Making (Module Leader) 2014-2019; LUBS 2765 Advanced Management Decision Making (Module Leader) 2014-2019; LUBS3885 Management Decision Making (Lecturer and Tutor) 2014-2018

Current postgraduate researchers

• Chenyi Zhu
• Can Cheng
• Chuyao Kuang