Research themes
The Willis Research Network’s People research hub examines how social, political, and demographic shifts shape the human dimensions of risk and resilience. From changing population structures and migration trends to evolving patterns of governance and conflict, our work explores how societies adapt—or fail to adapt—to disruption. We study the ways in which health systems, food security, and trust in institutions underpin stability, and how these foundations are tested by hybrid warfare, misinformation, and geopolitical realignment. By connecting research on human behaviour, vulnerability, and resilience to real-world decision-making, WRN helps WTW understand the forces reshaping exposure, recovery, and long-term insurability.
Featured projects
In a project with Anglia Ruskin University we explore how the UK could sustain food supply amid severe systemic disruption—linking resilience planning, insurance insights, and national food security strategy.
Partnering with Cullen Hendrix from the Peterson Institute for International Economics, to develop politically informed disaster scenarios that blend geopolitical stressors, climate extremes, and social fragility to test real-world resilience and policy readiness.
The National Preparedness Commission is an a-political, multi-sectoral commission set up in 2020 to promote better preparedness for a major crisis or incident in the UK
