Keon West is the head of reparations at JRCT. Previously the head of research at Runnymede Trust, he is a visiting professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the bestselling author of The Science of Racism.
An internationally recognised expert in racism and in bias reduction, Keon is the author of over 80 relevant peer-reviewed papers. He was previously a professor of social psychology, president of the 9th division of the American Psychological Association, and an old Rhodes Scholar with a doctorate from Balliol, Oxford University.
He has experience working in both the commercial and third sectors, having held the role of head of research at both Equality Group, a consultancy serving equity and venture capital firms, and Runnymede Trust, a race equality and civil rights think tank.
The Science of Racism (2025) has been shortlisted in The British Book Awards Book of the Year - Discover category, and the Unwin Award for authors whose work is considered to have made a significant contribution to the world. It has also been longlisted for the Jhalak Prose Prize, which is specifically for influential authors of colour.