Before I joined the UCL-IoE, I was a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research Fellow (individual fellowship) at the University of Amsterdam (2016-2018), Department of Human Geography, Planning and International Development. My project (Democratization through Education), funded by the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme, focuses on the role of education in increasing civil agency and voice in the Sub-Saharan African context.

From 2014-2016, I worked as a post-doctoral researcher (research associate) at the UNESCO-Centre (Ulster University), where I was part of a research consortium in partnership with UNICEF on Education and Peacebuilding. During that time, I acted as the lead researcher for the country case study on Uganda.

I obtained my PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science (2010-2014) in International Relations, where I also taught the courses 'Democracy and Democratization' and 'International Organizations'. My PhD thesis focused on the depoliticization of civil society during the peacebuilding and development process of Sierra Leone from 2007-13.

Prior to my doctoral studies I worked for the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in New York (2007-2010), for which I conducted, among others, research and in-depth analysis on several countries in transition from conflict to peace. Over the past decade, I have gained extensive field research experience in Sierra Leone, Uganda and Mexico.