Natasha McCarthy is currently Associate Director for Policy at Royal Academy of Engineering.

She was previously head of Policy and Data at the Royal Society where she led the Royal Society’s Data theme focusing on a range of policy activities to promote the development and use of data and digital technologies for the benefit of humanity.

Natasha has a background in philosophy of science and engineering, including professional ethics in engineering. She previously led the policy teams at the British Academy and the Royal Academy of Engineering, was part of the founding team at UCL’s Department for Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy, and held an academic post in philosophy at the University of St Andrews.

She is author of a number of papers and editor of collected volumes on philosophy of engineering and engineering in policymaking, and author of Engineering: A Beginner’s Guide, an introduction to the social and historical impacts of engineering.