I am a Research Associate and Head of the Conflict and Conflict Management Specialization at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, University of Erfurt. My academic work focuses on post-conflict violence, policing, and the sociopsychological underpinnings of security sector behavior.

Prior to joining the Willy Brandt School, I was a Research Assistant Fellow on a participatory action research project with refugee-background youth at the School of Education, University of Otago, in southern New Zealand. I hold a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Political Science from the University of Los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia), and a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Otago (Dunedin, New Zealand).

I am a member of the FBA Research Working Groups 2023–2027, a research affiliate at the Political Economy and Transnational Governance (PETGOV) research group at the University of Amsterdam, and a former fellow of the Civil War Paths project.

Currently, I am co-leading a funded research project (2024) supported by the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA), titled “Investigating the Role of Sociopsychological Factors in the Perpetuation of Security Sector Violence: A Case Study of the Colombian National Police”, in collaboration with Lucía Tiscornia. The project explores how perceptions of threat, emotional responses, and identity influence police officers’ relationships with civilians and their willingness to protect them in post-civil war contexts. The study contributes to ongoing debates on violence, coercion, and institutional reform within the security sector.
FBA Funding Announcement