Edward Latham

Overview

Ed is passionate about what we eat, why we eat it, and what we don't. He's a Doctoral Student at the City, University of London, Centre for Food Policy and the Psychology Department, specialicing in behaviour change. His PhD research is focused on designing, testing, and implementing targeted interventions to encourage healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable diets, with a specific focus on engaging young men. Drawing on his career in marketing, Ed effectively combines principles from marketing, branding, and behavioural science to create solutions tailored for specific target groups.   Prior to his academic research, Ed dedicated 10 years to marketing, brand management, and innovation within a multinational food business with brands like Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and Pukka Herbs. His professional commitment has always been centred on leveraging business as a force for good, particularly within the food sector. He also gained experience at Wahaca, a pioneering sustainability-focused restaurant company, where he worked for three years. In addition to his research, Ed is a certified coach and actively consults in marketing and behavioural science.  

Associations:

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts 

 

Qualifications

• Certified Coach, Academy of Executive Coaching, United Kingdom, June 2023
• Business Management BA, University of Exeter, United Kingdom, September 2010 - July 2013

Employment

• PhD Researcher, City, University of London, United Kingdom, October 2025 - October 2028
• Marketing Consultant, Self Employed, United Kingdom, June 2025 - present
• Head of Marketing, Wahaca, United Kingdom, December 2021 - June 2025
• Pukka Life Lead, Pukka Herbs, United Kingdom, September 2019 - November 2021
• Executive & Life Coach, Self Employed, United Kingdom, January 2017 - present
• Brand Management & Social Mission, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, United Kingdom, January 2014 - August 2019
• Marketing Graduate Scheme, Unilever, United Kingdom, September - December 2013

Languages

English (can read, write, speak, understand spoken, peer review), French (can read, write, speak, understand spoken) and Spanish; Castilian (can read, write, speak, understand spoken)

Expertise

Geographic Areas

• UK
• London
• Europe - Western

Title of thesis: Encouraging Sustainable, Healthy Diets Amongst Young Men

October 2025 - September 2028

Summary of research

Edward’s PhD research focuses on encouraging sustainable, healthy diets. Anthropogenic climate change resulting from greenhouse gas emissions poses a major threat to human health through extreme weather events, food insecurity, and the spread of infectious diseases. About one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions stem from food production and British men’s diets have been shown to contain on average more meat and have a correspondingly higher average negative impact on planetary boundaries transgression compared to women’s diets. The single biggest opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in UK has been identified as shifting diets towards plant-based proteins. Catalysing change is proving hard to achieve: direct encouragement to change to more sustainable diets has been shown to backfire with British adults. Hubbub’s recent research identifies young men in particular (defined as 18-24-years-of-age) as a group which has increased their meat consumption by 40% in the last year. Edward’s research focuses on behaviour interventions to normalise sustainable, healthy diets amongst British men.

Current Research Funding

Shah, D., Tapper, K. Allefeld, C. Increasing public acceptance of insect-based foods: insights from the field. BBSRC Consumer Lab. £24k. October 2025 - June 2026.

Gibson, R., Collie, G., Latunde-Dada, Y., Lavelle, F., Lofstedt, R., Wang, F., Tapper, K. Behavioural pathways to sustainable protein: integrating insect-based foods into UK Diets - a living laboratory feasibility study. Kings Seed Funding. £60k. Jan 2026 - Oct 2026.

Tapper, K. et al. How Green is Your Grub? Science Museum ‘Future of Food’ Exhibition Feature. HEIF. £12k. January 2025 - September 2026

Previous Research Funding

Tapper, K. & Bogosian, A. Behaviour change for weight management - improving the effectiveness and efficiency of digitally-enabled programmes. Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Oviva UK Ltd. Innovate UK. £238k. September 2022 - August 2024.

Tapper, K., Steinmetz, J. & Reynolds, C. Reducing the carbon footprint of a high street restaurant chain by nudging consumers toward healthier, lower carbon meals. BBSRC Consumer Lab. £46k. January 2024 - August 2024.

Toma, L., Thompson, B., Reynolds, C, Tapper, K & Pickering, J. Food waste beliefs qualitative research. Zero Waste Scotland. £86k. November 2023 - July 2024.

Reynolds, C. & Tapper, K. Citizen Food Waste Behavioural Modelling. Zero Waste Scotland. £43k. September 2023 – end September 2024.

Rajarajan, R., Roy, R. & Tapper, K. RESTRAIN: Socio-cultuRal bEhaviour of end-uSers To specific cybeR-threAts In manufacturing. ESRC. £50k. January 2023 – January 2024.

Simpson, S.A., Shaw, C., Duncan, D., Cohen, D., Tapper, K., Hill, A., Hood, K., Owen-Jones, E., Blake, C., Rollnick, S., Elwyn, G. & Williams, S. Weight Loss Maintenance in Adults. NIHR. £981k, September 2010 – March 2014.

Tapper, K., Maio, G., Haddock, G., Lewis, M. Lifestyle Change: Values and Volition. ESRC. £424k. September 2009 – August 2013.

Tapper, K. Mindfulness, attentional control and healthy eating. National Institute for Social Care and Health Research, Doctoral Studentship. £60k. January 2011-December 2013.

Moore, L., Murphy, S., Lyons, R., Tapper, K. & Benton, D. Free School Breakfast Initiative Data Augmentation and Analysis. MRC (NPRI). May 2009 – April 2011, £281k.

Tapper, K. & Pothos, E.M. Thinking about food: Effects on food-related attentional bias. Nuffield Foundation. £7k. March 2009 – August 2010.

Pothos, E.M. & Tapper, K. Does pre-occupation with body shape / food lead to overeating? Welsh Office of Research and Development. February 2006 – January 2008, £67k.

Moore, L., Tapper, K. & Murphy, S. Evaluation of Free School Breakfasts Initiative. National Assembly for Wales. September 2004 – August 2007, £496k.

Tapper, K., Shaw, C. & Moore, L. Development and piloting of an acceptance-based intervention for overweight and obese women. Welsh Office of Research and Development. March 2006 – August 2007, £73k.

Tapper, K., Lawrence, A. & Pothos, E.M. Development and comparison of measures of food-related attentional bias. Welsh Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. April 2007 – June 2007, £3k.

Tapper, K. & Pothos, E.M. Effects of two ideation strategies on children’s ability to delay gratification. Nuffield Foundation. January 2006 – September 2006, £7k.

Lowe, C.F., Horne, P.J. & Tapper, K. Trials of the Food Dude Healthy Eating Programme in Ireland. Bord Glas. June 2002 – January 2004, £147k.

Lowe, C.F., Horne, P.J. & Tapper, K. A pilot study of the Food Dude Healthy Eating Programme in Ireland. Fyffes. May 2002 – August 2003, £23k.

Research students

1^stsupervisor

• Professor Katy Tapper, Professor in Psychology

2^ndsupervisor

• Dr Christian Reynolds, Reader
• Dr Carsten Allefeld, Lecturer in Psychology

Publications by category