Dr Kirstin Wagner

Dr Kirstin Wagner is a research and policy professional working at the intersection of applied research, safeguarding, and public policy. She is a Research Fellow with the Rights for Time research network, where she leads and coordinates interdisciplinary projects examining violence, inequality, displacement, and their impacts on women, children, and communities.

Her work focuses on translating complex evidence into practical insights for policymakers, funders, and frontline organisations, with particular expertise in survivor-centred research, ethical data governance, and the use of evidence to inform safeguarding and prevention strategies. She has led and contributed to commissioned research for the UK Government, UN-affiliated actors, and civil society organisations, producing policy briefs, rapid evidence assessments, and implementation-focused guidance.

Kirstin holds a PhD from the University of Birmingham, where her doctoral research examined sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers and its long-term social and health consequences for women and children in post-conflict settings. Her broader research interests include online and offline harms, technology-facilitated violence, mental health and wellbeing, and the design of evidence-informed responses in complex and high-risk contexts.