​ABOUT

I am professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam where I am a member of the research group Political Economy and Transnational Governance. At the University of Amsterdam, I am co-director of the Amsterdam Center for Conflict Studies (with Erella Grassiani). 

My work is interested in democracy and how it is undermined by political violence,  extreme strategies by political parties, and organized crime. My research shows that democracy suffers when identities become overly politicized and extreme, such as when parties use hostile rhetoric and behavior to sharpen voter identities. From 2020-2025, I am principal investigator of the project Elections, Violence, and Parties funded by the European Research Council. My research has previously been funded by the Dutch Science Foundation (NWO), the European Commission's Marie Curie Actions, and the U.S. Department of Defense Minerva Research Initiative. 

​Please find my full CV here.