I am a senior researcher at the Center for Security Studies (ETH Zurich). I employ a blend of qualitative and computational research methods to study the dynamics of armed conflicts.
With over a decade of practitioner experience, I am particularly interested in how we can use satellite data to support both conflict research and humanitarian action. I collaborate closely with experts in computer science, remote sensing, and the humanitarian sector. My current research focuses on using satellite-based nighttime light data as a proxy for identifying humanitarian crises. I serve as Co-Principal Investigator of the Remote Monitoring of Armed Conflicts and Deep Learning-based Mapping of Conflict projects—two interdisciplinary initiatives that aim to automate the detection of war-related damage in open-access satellite imagery.
Before joining ETH Zurich, I was based at the University of Zurich, Johns Hopkins University, AI Singapore, and Leiden University, where I examined the role of emerging technologies and ceasefires in peace processes.
I have received several awards for my research, including the 2024 Impact Award of the Department of Political Science at the University of Zurich, the 2022 Young Scholar Award (best article) of the Swiss Political Science Association, and the 2021 Cedric Smith Prize of the Conflict Research Society. My research has been published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, including International Studies Quarterly, International Studies Review, the Journal of Peace Research.
Before entering academia, I served in various practitioner roles, including as senior program officer in the mediation support team at the Center for Security Studies and as political affairs officer for the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste.
Outside of my professional life, I love spending time with my partner and our two kids, drinking coffee or a beer with friends, traveling, cycling through the city of Zurich, or taking a swim in the Limmat river.