About me

Political scientist exploring how power, media, and democracy collide — and who shapes political transitions when they do.

I am an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow at Durham University’s School of Government and International Affairs, where I lead a funded research project on elections, rents, and war-to-peace transitions. My work sits at the intersection of political transitions, elite bargaining, and the relationship between power, media, and democracy.

I received my PhD in International Development from SOAS University of London in 2024. My doctoral research investigated local power brokers, electoral politics, and the complexities of democratisation in post-intervention Afghanistan across the period 2001–2021. During my studies, I was a Visiting PhD Fellow at the University of Amsterdam’s Centre for Conflict Studies, where I deepened my work on comparative political analysis in conflict-affected settings.

My current project — The Power of Bargaining: Elections, Rents, and War-to-Peace Transitions — bridges original fieldwork insights with comparative political economy, media studies, and human rights. My research interests have since expanded to include authoritarian governance, information control, and digital authoritarianism across the broader region.

My professional path connects academia, journalism, and policy. I have held research positions at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights at Lund University, taught at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, and worked as a broadcast journalist at the BBC World Service (BBC Persian). I have lectured on public policy and political journalism at several institutions across Europe.

Beyond my academic work, I pursue photography as a means of capturing life’s quieter, more reflective moments.

Additional information about my work can be found in the research and publications sections. For collaborations, media enquiries, or academic supervision, feel free to get in touch.