Gail is a Professor in Human Geography at the University of Exeter. Her work is located at the intersection of human geography, science and technology studies, and animal studies. Her research seeks to chart the changing geographies of laboratory animal research, support decision-making in complex science-policy contexts, and develop innovative public engagements with science. She has previously published on natural history film-making practices, public engagement around xenotransplantation, international collaborations using mutant mice to understand the human genome, and the use of both artistic and analytic-deliberative methods to engage different perspectives around complex issues in science.
Gail’s work on the animal research nexus involved understanding changing the interfaces between those affected by health conditions and animal research. This built on interests in how translational and personalised medicine are changing the nature of ethics and experiments. Gail Davies was appointed to the UK's Animals in Science Committee in 2013-2019 and chaired the 2017 review of Harm–Benefit Analysis in UK animal research. She is currently on the Steering Committee for the Swiss National Science Foundation programme for Advancing 3Rs, continuing to support opportunities for the social sciences to understand changing social relations around animal research.