Dr Imran Awan is Professor of Criminology at Birmingham City University who specialises in understanding hate crimes, terrorism , and Islamophobia. He has written extensively on Islamophobia and is currently project lead for a large ESRC research grant looking into the effects of Islamophobia and Covid-19. He is an independent member of the UK Government Anti – Muslim Hatred Working Group and , also a member of the SAGE sub – panel group advising the UK Government on behavioural aspects in relation to Covid-19 and its impacts on local communities.