Mary joined the University of Birmingham as a 125th Anniversary Fellow and Associate Professor of International Social Policy in 2024, having previously held academic posts at the Universities of Bristol and Oxford. Her work receives funding from ESRC, IDRC, NERC, UKRI, and UNICEF, producing high-quality articles, book chapters, and policy reports, which became an important part of the Research Excellence Framework impact case study. Her work has been disseminated worldwide through diverse channels, including the Science Summits at the United Nations General Assembly. Her teaching covers cutting-edge theories and practices in Social Policy and Research Methodology. She also offers capacity-building training for international non-governmental organisations’ statistical officers and data managers.