Elena Brown is a research leader at RAND Europe in the field of early years and education. She oversees numerous research projects spanning early childhood education, school-aged children, and parenting interventions. Brown is a proficient methodologist with extensive experience in designing pragmatic, large scale mixed method studies (such as RCTs) using robust tools and measures.

Brown has worked across research policy and practce, including working on sabbatical at the Ministry of Education in Ontario, managing the analysis and reporting of a large scale dataset on mathematics teaching. While there she was also responsible for preparing policy briefings for the assistant deputy minister in System Planning, Research and Innovation.

Prior to joining RAND, Brown was a senior evaluation manger at the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) managing and advising on the design of over 80 large scale trials and developmental pilots in schools across the UK and Australia. While at the EEF she designed and managed the creation of a large online database of measures looking at mental health and non-academic outcomes. Previously, she worked as the lead researcher on a mixed-methods multi-site study of parenting programme implementation on behalf of the Centre for Mental Health.

Brown has worked across many different contexts, both nationally and internationally, authoring internal and external reports, practical tools, and guidance documents for charities and governments. Prior to working in research, she was a classroom teacher. She holds an M.Ed. in psychology and education from the University of Cambridge.