Sasha Havlicek is Co-Founder and CEO of ISD, having spearheaded ISD’s pioneering research and data analysis, digital education, policy advisory, training, tech and communications programmes. With a background in conflict resolution and an expertise in extremism, digital information operations and electoral interference, she has advised a range of governments at the highest levels and has spearheaded partnerships with the UN, EU Commission and Global Counter-Terrorism Forum. She has also worked with the private and civil society sectors to promote innovation, including developing major programmes run in partnership with Google, FB and Microsoft. Sasha serves as an expert advisor to the UK Counter-Extremism Commission and the Mayor of London’s counter-extremism programme, and is a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations. Sasha previously served as Senior Director at the EastWest Institute where she led conflict resolution programming. Sasha has testified before US Congress, the UK Parliament and is a regular commentator in the media (CNN, BBC, Channel 4 News and other networks).

Moustafa Ayad is Executive Director at ISD for Africa, the Middle East and Asia (AMEA). He is author of the ISD reports The Propaganda Pipeline: The ISIS Fuouaris Upload Network on Facebook, El Rubio’ Lives: The Challenge Of Arabic Language Extremist Content On Social Media Platforms, ‘The Baghdadi Net’: How A Network of ISIL-Supporting Accounts Spread Across Twitter, The Management of Terrorist Content: How Al Qaeda Texts Continue to Evade Facebook and YouTube Detection, and co-author of No Platform for Old Men, Barriers to Online Youth Civic Engagement and P-CVE in Europe.

Sarah Kennedy is Chief Operating Officer of ISD, with responsibility for operations and finance. She oversees the operational management of the organisation to ensure all financial, operations, governance, HR and legal responsibilities are delivered to the highest possible standard. Sarah has over a decade of experience in the UK and international charity sectors. Previous roles include UK Director of Kenyan NGO S.A.F.E and Head of Partnerships & Events at the UK think tank Demos. Having worked in a range of NGO functions - particularly communications, programme delivery, fundraising and partnerships - Sarah now specialises in operations and management, with a particular focus on financial management, strategic development, change management, HR and governance. Sarah holds a First Class degree in Economic and Social History from the University of Bristol and an MA in Legal and Political Theory from UCL. She additionally holds an Art & Design Foundation Diploma from Kingston University; a Certificate in International Business Practice and International Diploma in Management from University of Cambridge International Exams; and a Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Certificate in Business Accounting.

Dixon Osburn is the Executive Director of ISD, United States. He has served in non-governmental organizations for three decades addressing diverse issues in domestic and international human rights, security and democracy. Dixon co-founded Servicemembers Legal Defense Network that led the successful effort to repeal "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." At Human Rights First, he directed its Law & Security program leading efforts to close Guantánamo, end torture and regulate drones. As Executive Director at the Center for Justice and Accountability, Dixon led efforts to hold accountable international war criminals, including the Syrian regime and Khmer Rouge. Dixon served as a Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. He is author of Mission Possible: The Story of Repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. He currently serves as an HFX Fellow with the Halifax International Security Forum. Dixon has testified before Congress and been widely quoted in the press. He received his JD/MBA from Georgetown University and his AB with distinction from Stanford University. 

Arabella Phillimore is Managing Director of ISD, with responsibility for the portfolio of research, policy advisory and programming.  As part of the Executive Leadership team, she is responsible for building and overseeing the knowledge sharing, quality control and communications capability within and outside of the organisation. Arabella has over 20 years’ experience working for non-profit organisations, governments and international organisations in the UK and abroad. Previous roles include COO, then Strategic Director of UK-based negotiation NGO Inter Mediate– which she helped establish–, and Specialist Policy Advisor at the UK Foreign Office. Arabella has a policy, strategic planning and communications background and in addition to her negotiation work she has worked as a Leader writer at the Financial Times, and at the UN as both a political officer for the Department of Peacekeeping in Afghanistan, and a communications and advocacy officer for UNICEF in India.  Arabella holds a BA in Modern Languages from New College, Oxford University, and an MA in International Relations and Economics from SAIS, Johns Hopkins University. She additionally was awarded a UNITAR/IPI Fellowship in Mediation and Negotiation Skills and is a Founding Trustee of UNHCR’s UK fundraising charity, UK for UNCHR.

Eric Rosand is the Executive Director of the Strong Cities Network. He has nearly two decades of experience working with governments, multilateral organisations, civil society, academics, and the private sector on international counterterrorism and P/CVE issues. This includes more than six years as a senior official at the US State Department where he was the international policy director for the White House CVE Summit and led efforts to develop and launch the Global Counterterrorism Forum, its inspired institutions and the Strong Cities Network. He previously was a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and served as co-director of the Global Center on Cooperative Security, and a lawyer at the US State Department and the US Mission to the United Nations. His writings, including on the role of cities and other local actors in P/CVE, have appeared in a wide range of publications such as the American Journal of International Law, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, Global Observatory, Just Security, The Hill, Lawfare, Order from Chaos, Time, and War on the Rocks. He holds a BA in history from Haverford College, a JD from Columbia University School of Law, and an LLM (Hons) in international law from Cambridge University.

Huberta von Voss is Executive Director at ISD Germany, where she has led the expansion of ISD's German office since 2019. She has previously been part of the leadership team of the New York based NGO Seeds of Peace. Her efforts as Director for Public Affairs and Communications led to steep digital growth, new media engagement, a Podcast series as well as a series of high level events in New York and Washington, D.C. Huberta is the author of "Portraits of Hope: The Armenians in the contemporary world" (Berghahn Books) as well as "Arme Kinder, reiches Land" (Rowohlt) on child poverty in post-reunification Germany. She has appeared on various German and international TV shows and is fluent in English and French. She serves on several boards, among them United Ways Germany, to foster social cohesion. Huberta was awarded the Leo Baeck Medal (2018) and the BGA Medal of Honor by the British-German Association. She is a member of the Young Leader network of the BMW Foundation and an alumni of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

Rashad Ali is a Resident Senior Fellow at ISD. Rashad is a counter terrorism practitioner who works on deradicalisation initiatives alongside Prisons, Probation Services, Police and community groups. He was formerly a national leadership member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, the revolutionary Islamist organisation and has been actively involved in undermining its extreme ideology and perversion of Muslim faith since his departure. As a researcher he has given testimony and contributed submissions to the Home Affairs Select Committee on Radicalisation, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Intelligence and has briefed the London Mayor's office on Counter Terrorism and has been consulted by think tanks and governments in Germany, Denmark, the EU and the US. He is an external lecturer for Derby University’s Master Class courses on Radicalisation and Counter Terrorism. He has written for The Observer, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, The Times, Dissent Magazine, Birlingske in Denmark, Conservative Home, and given commentary for Newsnight, BBC News. He is the author of Islam, Shariah and the Far Right published by Demoqratiya journal, A Guide to Refuting Jihadism published by HJS and EFD, and the author of the ISD report Blasphemy, Charlie Hebdo, and the Freedom of Belief and Expression. He is classically trained in Islamic theology and jurisprudence and Modern studies in Islam. He studied at al-Azhar University, Cairo, and the Markfield Institute.

Zahed Amanullah is a Resident Senior Fellow at ISD, leading on ISD’s civil society engagement, communications, and partnerships, coordinating the public and private sectors with activists, frontline workers, and relevant civil society networks. He has worked closely with Google.org to support British and European civil society organisations through the Innovation Fund, the Shared Endeavour Fund, and the Google Impact Challenge on Safety. He has given testimony to the UK and European parliaments and has been featured at the BBC, NPR, Channel 4, Sky News, the Guardian, CNN International, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Le Monde Diplomatique, and Newsweek, among others. He has co-authored the ISD reports The Impact of Counternarratives, Between Two Extremes: Responding to Islamist and tribalist messaging online in Kenya during the 2017 elections, and The Innovation Fund to Counter Hate and Extremism in the UK. He holds a BS from the University of California, Berkeley and a Diploma in Management from the University of Bath.

Kelsey Bjornsgaard is the Head of Practice for the Strong Cities Network where she develops training models and resources to enhance locally-led approaches to preventing and countering violent extremism. She works closely with youth, civil society and national and local government actors to identify good practice, build critical capacities and drive cross-sectoral coordination to promote community-based solutions on a global scale. Kelsey leads the delivery of Strong Cities’ youth pillar, Young Cities, and is driving work on National Local Cooperation. Kelsey holds a Master's in International Conflict Studies from King’s College London and a Bachelor's in European Studies from the University of Oklahoma.

Milo Comerford is Head of Policy & Research, Counter Extremism, leading ISD’s work developing innovative research approaches and policy responses to extremism. Milo regularly briefs senior decision makers around the world on the challenge posed by extremist ideologies, and advises governments and international agencies on building effective strategies for countering extremism. He was previously Senior Analyst at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, where he led major research projects on Salafi-jihadi propaganda, international educational responses to extremism, and the transnational far right. His writing and research features frequently in international media and he has made recent broadcast appearances on BBC News, Sky News and Al Jazeera.

Jiore Craig is a Resident Senior Fellow at ISD with focus on Digital Integrity. Her work focuses on safeguarding democracy globally and the wider impact of online harms on society. Jiore advises global leaders on mitigating online harms including work to advance tech policy reform and tech accountability at a global scale. She has extensive international experience, previously spending eight years helping elected officials, political leaders, media organizations, academic institutions and civic society organizations across five continents to research, measure, and effectively mitigate the impact of disinformation and influence operations on public opinion and elections. She previously built a digital research and communications practice serving Europe, Asia, Africa, South and Central America, and the US at a global political consulting firm. Jiore’s work informed the design of major coalition efforts to counter disinformation in the 2020 US and 2019 European Parliament elections. In 2022, Jiore testified for the U.S. Congressional House Administration Elections Subcommittee Hearing on “A Growing Threat: Foreign and Domestic Sources of Disinformation”. She is a member of Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media. Her work is cited in The Washington Post, New York Magazine, The L.A. Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and she has been a featured guest in election broadcast programs around the world, including the podcast Pod Save America.

Jacob Davey is Head of Research & Policy for Far-right and Hate Movements at ISD. Jacob has managed projects focusing on online hate speech, the international far-right and political violence. He has led a number of projects piloting novel models for identifying extremist conversation and hate speech online, including analysis tracking hate groups in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia, and is currently leading a major programme of work mitigating hate threats in the US. He has advised national and local policymakers on right-wing extremism, including the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament. Jacob has managed and co-authored numerous ISD reports including Between Conspiracy and Extremism: A Long COVID Threat?, ISD’s Gaming and Extremism Series, and A Safe Space to Hate: White Supremacist Mobilisation on Telegram.

Gil Jung is the Head of Communications and Events at ISD Germany. As a communications expert with many years of international experience, Gil acts as ISD Germany’s main interface between the media, key stakeholders and programme teams, as well as on all organizational matters. Gil worked as a journalist in Bonn London and Paris before switching to public relations. She has left a broad portfolio of clients from the private sector behind to support the strategic expansion of ISD Germany in the DACH region.

Daniel Hooton is Director of Global Engagement at the Strong Cities Network, with responsibility for strategy and delivery of international cities' programmes. This includes current projects to develop institutional approaches to long-term governance, human security and social policy challenges in cities across Africa, Asia, the Western Balkans and the Middle East. He has advised and worked with numerous international governments, UN agencies and mayors on international counter-terrorism and counter-extremism strategy, briefing senior ministers and leaders, as well as shaping multilateral cooperation on grassroots practices in cities around the world. Daniel previously served as policy advisor to the Shadow Minister for Communities in the UK Parliament, developing opposition policy and scrutiny on community cohesion, social exclusion and public services reform. He holds a Master’s degree with Distinction from the London School of Economics, a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Bristol, and has a longstanding interest in devolution, borders and port cities. 

Duaa Khalid is the Head of the Strong Cities Network (SCN) Project Operations at ISD, leading on all SCN operational management including grant management, financial management, new business development, compliance, procurement, risk management and resource management. Duaa has 15 years of experience working with non-profit organisations and international charities managing international programs and donor relationships with DFID, EU and USAID, among others. Previously, she worked with Save the Children UK and Marie Stopes International. Duaa holds a BSc Hons in Economics from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE).

Jennie King is Head of Climate Research and Policy, leading efforts to translate ISD's digital research into frontline programming and response. Through ISD, she helped found Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD), a coalition of over 50 organisations working to identify, analyse and counter climate disinformation worldwide. She has spearheaded investigations on climate denialism and ‘discourses of delay’ in the contexts of Australia, Canada, Central Europe, Germany, South Africa, the US and UK, as well as co-authored a number of ISD’s flagship reports on this issue. Jennie also helped design, and currently manages, the COP Intelligence Units on behalf of CAAD, leading over 15 partners to produce real-time monitoring of mis- and disinformation around climate summits.

Maria Schleussner is responsible for HR and Finance at ISD Germany. She oversees the operational management to ensure that all governance, HR and legal responsibilities are met. Prior to joining ISD Germany, Maria worked as a team lead for various companies, focusing on the assessment and transformation of operating models, consulting on compliance and risk management issues. She also looked after business plans, conducted portfolio reports and stakeholder communications, and provided valuation validation. She holds a Master of Science in International Business Administration, a Master of Law and a Master's and Bachelor's degree in German and Polish Law.

Melanie Smith is the Head of Research for ISD US. Based in Washington DC, she leads a team of analysts focused on detecting, exposing and mitigating the threats associated with online information operations. Melanie was previously the Director of Analysis at the network analytics firm Graphika, re-joining ISD in 2021 to expand the organization’s research portfolio in the US. Her recent work has focused on topics like state-backed influence campaigns, public health misinformation and election-related violence.

Tim Squirrell is Head of Communications & Editorial at ISD. He is responsible for managing the Institute's communications strategy, ensuring that publications reach the right audiences and that ISD continues to drive the discussion around areas of extremism, hate, polarisation and disinformation. He previously worked as a senior advisor on counter-terrorism to the British government, providing expert insights on right-wing, misogynist and esoteric extremist and terrorist threats. Tim holds a PhD in Science and Technology Studies from the University of Edinburgh, where he wrote his thesis on the social dynamics of online communities.

Henry Tuck is the Head of Digital Policy at ISD, where he leads Advisory work on digital regulation and tech company responses to terrorism, extremism, hate and dis/misinformation online. Henry oversees ISD’s Digital Policy Lab (DPL) and engagement on key digital regulation proposals in Europe and Five Eyes countries, advises key governments, international organisations and major private sector tech companies, and collaborates with ISD’s Digital Analysis Unit to translate research into actionable digital policy recommendations. Having joined ISD in 2013, Henry has previously worked across a variety of ISD’s Analysis and Action programmes, including education, on- and offline counter-extremism interventions, and civil society networks. Henry holds a Masters in International Conflict Studies from Kings College London, and a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Durham University. 

Francesca Arcostanzo is the Lead of the Digital Analysis Unit at ISD, working to ensure our research methods, tools and approaches in the digital analysis space remain consistent and innovative. With a decade of experience in digital research, she is an expert in digital methods, including text network, and statistical analysis of large-scale datasets. Recently, she has been involved in the development of Beam, the ISD-CASM technology that exposes, tracks and confronts online information threats, from disinformation to hate, extremism, information operations, harassment and harmful conspiracy theories. Francesca also holds a PhD in Public Opinion, Political Communication, and Electoral Behaviour from the University of Milan, an MA in Government and Public Communication, and an MSc in Intelligence & ICT. Previously, she served as a Digital Analytics Specialist at the European Central Bank, where she monitored and analysed conversations, disinformation and threats related to ECB policies. She is also a partner at CASM Technology.

Till Baaken is Head of Programmes at ISD Germany, focusing on right-wing extremism and Islamism as well as disinformation and conspiracy theories in German-speaking and English-speaking countries. His articles have been published in a range of publications, including the Journal for Deradicalization and the International Journal of Conflict and Violence. He has also contributed to several books and handbooks on radicalisation and de-radicalisation. He is the co-author of the ISD reports Disinformation Overdose: A study of the Crisis of Trust among Vaccine Sceptics and Anti-Vaxxers, Fluchtwege. Wie das Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz auf etablierten sozialen Medien durch die Verlinkung zu alternativen Plattformen umgangen wird and Wegweiser – Hintergrundbericht für das Projekt »Radikalisierung in rechtsextremen Onlinesubkulturen entgegentreten«. Till holds an MA in Terrorism, Security and Society from King’s College London.

Mauritius is a Senior Digital Policy and Education Manager at ISD Germany, where he coordinates ISD’s digital policy recommendations on election-related online harms and presents them to political stakeholders at EU level and in Germany. He conducts disinformation trainings with political parties and candidates, coordinates with other stakeholders from academia and civil society, and assists in the design of awareness campaigns. Mauritius is also involved in the Digital Policy Lab (DPL), a new intergovernmental working group focused on policy responses to prevent and counter online disinformation, hate speech and extremism. Previously, Mauritius worked as a public affairs consultant in Berlin, advising clients from the public and private sector on their lobbying strategies in the area of digital policy and digital economy. Mauritius holds a MSc double degree in Global Media and Communications from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences and Fudan University, and a BA in Sociology, Politics and Economics from Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen.

Simeon Dukić is a Senior Manager on the Strong Cities Network leading research, network engagement and city level deep-dive programming in the Balkans and Central Asia. His work focuses on mapping the regional off- and online threat environment, leveraging municipal-led multi-stakeholder local prevention frameworks, enhancing national-local cooperation, and empowering youth to counter hate, polarisation and extremism. Simeon was previously a Project Associate at the National Committee for Countering Violent Extremism and Counter-Terrorism (NCCVECT) of North Macedonia where he facilitated coordination of regional, national and local government and non-government stakeholders and was involved in the drafting of the country’s first National CVE Strategy. He is the author of “Online Extremism in North Macedonia: Politics, Ethnicities and Religion” and a co-author of "Community Resilience Study: Kumanovo, North Macedonia.” Simeon holds a Masters in Intelligence and International Security from King’s College London and a Bachelors in Global Challenges from Leiden University College in The Hague.

Aoife Gallagher is a Senior Analyst on ISD’s Digital Analysis Unit, focusing on the intersection between far-right extremism, disinformation and conspiracy theories and using a mixture of data analysis, open source intelligence and investigative techniques to understand the online ecosystem where these ideas flourish and spread. Previously, Aoife was a journalist with the online news agency, Storyful. She is the author of the book Web of Lies – The Lure and Danger of Conspiracy Theories and co-author of the ISD reports The Genesis of a Conspiracy Theory and Ill Advice: A Case Study in Facebook’s Failure to Tackle COVID-19 Disinformation.  

Cooper Gatewood is a Senior Digital Research Manager within ISD’s Digital Research Unit, focusing on quantitative research into the spread of hateful and polarising narratives online, and how they are leveraged by extremist actors. Cooper is currently contributing to ISD’s research on disinformation campaigns, particularly those aimed to influence and disrupt election processes. He also manages on the Online Civil Courage Initiative in France, coordinating activities to support civil society’s response to hate and extremism online. In addition, Cooper conducts ongoing evaluation of a number of ISD’s programmes, including Be Internet Citizens and Young Digital Leaders. Cooper also develops monitoring and evaluation frameworks for a number of ISD’s education projects. Previously, Cooper worked at Portland, where he advised clients from the non-profit and government sectors on their media engagement and social media strategies. He is the co-author of ISD reports The Boom Before the Ban: QAnon and Facebook, La pandémie de COVID-19: terreau fertile de la haine en ligne, Fostering Civic Responses to Online Harms, Promouvoir le civisme en ligne face aux malveillances à l’ère du numérique, Disinformation briefing: Narratives around Black Lives Matter and voter fraud, Mapping hate in France: A panoramic view of online discourse, and Building Digital Citizenship in France: Lessons from the Sens Critique project. Cooper holds a Masters of International Affairs from Columbia University and a Masters of International Security from Sciences Po and is fluent in Spanish and French, as well as speaking proficient Japanese.

Jakob Guhl is a Senior Manager, Policy & Research, at ISD, where he works within the Digital Research Unit and with ISD Germany. His research focuses on the far-right, Islamist extremism, hate speech, disinformation and conspiracy theories. Jakob is a frequent commentator on German radio and broadcast and has been invited to present his research on online hate to the German Ministry of the Justice and provided evidence to the German Minister of the Interior and the German Family Minister on how to strengthen prevention against right-wing extremism and antisemitism. His research has been featured in Die Zeit, The Guardian, DW, The Telegraph, CNN, Euronews, Coda Story, Vice, Politico, New Republic and Die Welt, among others. Additionally, he has published articles in the “Journal for Deradicalisation”, “Demokratie gegen Menschenfeindlichkeit”, Taz, Der Standard, New Statesman and GNET, and contributed to edited volumes about antisemitism on social media, conspiracy theories and the origins of contemporary political anger. He is the co-author of the ISD reports Researching the Evolving Online Ecosystem: Barriers, Methods and Future Challenges, Gen-Z & The Digital Salafi Ecosystem, Crisis and Loss of Control: German-Language Digital Extremism in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Hosting the ‘Holohoax’: A Snapshot of Holocaust Denial Across Social Media, A Safe Space to Hate: White Supremacist Mobilisation on Telegram and The Online Ecosystem of the German Far-Right. Jakob holds an MA in Terrorism, Security and Society from King’s College London.

Jared Holt is Senior Research Analyst at ISD, working on the topics of hate and extremism in the United States. He has authored definitive research and investigative reports scrutinising the overlap between technology and US political extremism. Jared frequently provides expert commentary and analysis to national media outlets and policymakers, helping to educate public audiences and institutions about the subject matters he examines. Prior to joining ISD, he worked at The Atlantic Council's DFRLab, Right Wing Watch and Media Matters for America. His journalism work has been published in national outlets including The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, Columbia Journalism Review, HuffPost and GEN Magazine. He is based in Chicago.

Łukasz Janulewicz is a Senior Analyst at ISD, focusing on climate disinformation in Poland and Germany. He previously worked at the Polish Institute for International Affairs (PISM) in Warsaw, the Central European University in Budapest and the Bavarian State Parliament in Munich. Łukasz graduated in Political Science from the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich and holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Kent. At ISD, he has co-authored the research report: “Kalter Wind von Rechts: Wie rechte Parteien und Akteur:innen die Klimakrise zu ihren Gunsten missbrauchen Eine Analyse über falsche Fakten, Feindbilder und Desinformationsnarrative im Umfeld der Bundestagswahl 2021.”

Katherine is a Senior Research Manager supporting projects tracking the intersection of disinformation, hate, extremism and political violence in the U.S. She is responsible for the oversight and project management of ethnographic monitoring projects conducted by the ISD U.S. Research Team. Prior to joining ISD, Katherine consulted and led research for the U.S. government related to human trafficking and hostage taking. She also was an Intelligence Research Specialist at the NYPD Intelligence Bureau's Racially/Ethnically Motivated Extremism Unit ("REME") where she supported terrorism investigations and tactical and strategic research related to individuals and groups affiliated with politically- and ethnically-motivated, as well as single-issue, extremist ideologies. Katherine has a Master of Arts Degree in Security Studies from Georgetown University, and Bachelor of Science in Political Studies and History from Rocky Mountain College.

Charlotte Moeyens is a Senior Manager, Networks & Civic Action, at ISD, sitting in the central Resources and Methods team to support with the collation and distribution of counter-extremism best practice, overseeing the development and international delivery of training modules, materials and resources for practitioners and civil society. She has supported the delivery of the Google.org Impact Challenge on Safety in Europe, Africa Online Safety Fund and Mayor of London’s Shared Endeavour Fund. Most recently, she is working with the McCain Institute to develop and build the capacity of a US Prevention and Intervention Practitioners Network. Charlotte also forms part of the Strong Cities Network's (SCN) Central Management Unit, and is co-author of the SCN's Multi-Agency Models for Preventing Violent Extremism: A Guidebook for Bangladesh, as well as ISD reports YouthCAN: The Many States of Activism and Women, Girls and Islamist Extremism.

Ciarán O’Connor is a Senior Analyst at ISD, working in the Research and Policy unit. Ciarán specialises in using open-source research to track and monitor disinformation and extremism online, with a particular focus on far-right activity and communication across open and closed networks and platforms. Ciarán is currently working on multiple ISD projects in analysing the intersection of misinformation and extremism with COVID-19 on social media. Ciarán previously worked as a journalist on the investigations team at Storyful, a social media news agency that specialises in the verification and analysis of amateur footage and misinformation online. He is the co-author of ISD reports The Boom Before the Ban: QAnon and Facebook and Disinformation briefing: Narratives around Black Lives Matter and voter fraud.

Lara Petricevic-Williams is a Senior Operations Manager at ISD, working primarily on ISD’s East Africa portfolio of programmes, and providing support to ISD’s growth and business development efforts. Lara is an experienced democracy and governance professional with 15+ years of experience in the Balkans, Middle East, South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, working at policy, program and project level. She has proven success in engaging with, cultivating and managing, stakeholder relationships with government agencies, NGOs, political parties and government officials, media and donor organizations. She spent most of her career setting up and building organisations; managing office operations in conflict, post-conflict and transitional countries; overseeing project design, management, and implementation; and spearheading multimillion-dollar business and proposal development efforts for a range of donors. Lara is an excellent manager of multi-donor projects with a unique ability in handling difficult challenges, while reliably directing programs with excellence and efficiency.

Jordan Reimer is Senior Manager for Threat Prevention at ISD US. He manages projects related to threat detection and is responsible for engaging relevant stakeholders to address salient threats. Jordan was previously a Policy Analyst at the RAND Corporation, where he researched and managed projects on targeted violence prevention and combatting disinformation. He also served as an intelligence analyst for the New York City Police Department, where he specialised in counter-terrorism investigations related to the Syrian civil war, the foreign fighter threat and illicit finance networks. Jordan is also a lecturer and course instructor on conflict and insurgency in the post-Arab Spring Middle East.

Kevin D. Reyes is a Senior OSINT Specialist at ISD, where he leads methodology for open-source investigations and researches online hate, extremism, conspiracy theories, and disinformation. He also teaches open-source investigations as an adjunct instructor at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. 

A recognized digital investigator, Kevin was previously director of research and intelligence at a consulting firm, where he conducted and managed hundreds of open-source and undercover investigations into illicit trade and transnational crime for Fortune 500 clients. Some of these investigations led to landmark civil cases as well as criminal prosecution by agencies within the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, among others. He also worked in law library management at several law schools, and in international criminal law research at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights in Washington DC and at the Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley School of Law. 

Reyes is highly engaged in the development of the OSINT field. While at Berkeley's Human Rights Center in 2016, he helped launch the first university-based, open-source investigations lab of its kind to discover and verify human rights violations and potential war crimes. He was consulting editor of Digital Witness: Using Open Source Information for Human Rights Investigation, Documentation, and Accountability (Oxford University Press, 2020), the first book of its kind to teach the methods and best-practice of open-source research featuring contributions from other leaders in the field. He contributed to early work that led to the Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations (2022), the first-ever manual on the effective use of open-source information in international criminal and human rights investigations, published by the United Nations. 

Kevin is a first-generation graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. His research and expertise have also been showcased in a variety of media outlets including ABC News, the Hill, Politico, Politifact, VICE, and NHK.

Nathalie Rücker is Senior Manager, Capacity Building and Civic Action for ISD Germany. She manages the Business Council for Democracy (BC4D) project and also co-leads the project "Pan European Coalition against Online Antisemitism" (CCOA). Previously, Nathalie worked at the intersection of peacebuilding research, conflict prevention and human rights education, in Germany and abroad, focusing on global citizenship education and the capacity building of civil society actors. She holds a BA in Political Science and an MA in Public International Law and International Relations and is a trained conflict mediator.

Helena Schwertheim is Senior Digital Policy and Research Manager at ISD Germany, where she leads the Digital Policy Lab (DPL), a new intergovernmental working group focused on policy responses to prevent and counter disinformation, hate speech and extremism. Helena also leads a team of analysts studying digital threats posed to democracy by disinformation, hate speech and extremism.  Previously, Helena managed digital policy and research projects at Democracy Reporting International. She also has experience working in risk and political analysis in international organizations and think tanks, including at the UN World Food Programme in Rome, and the think tank International IDEA in Stockholm.

Julia Smirnova is a Senior Analyst at ISD and ISD Germany, focusing on proliferation of disinformation, conspiracy myths, hate speech and extremist ideologies online. She is co-author of ISD reports Digitale Gewalt und Desinformation gegen Spitzenkandidat:innen vor der Bundestagswahl 2021, Ein Virus des Misstrauens: Der russische Staatssender RT DE und die deutsche Corona-Leugner-Szene and Desinformationskampagnen gegen die Wahl: Befunde aus Sachsen-Anhalt. Before joining ISD, Julia was working as a journalist writing for Der Spiegel and Die Zeit among others. As the Moscow correspondent for Die Welt, she was reporting on Russian politics, the annexation of Crimea and the war in Eastern Ukraine. She holds an MA in Conflict, Security and Development from King’s College London.

Elise Thomas is a Senior OSINT Analyst at ISD, with a background in researching state-linked information operations, disinformation, conspiracy theories and the online dynamics of political movements. She also freelances as a journalist, and her work has appeared in Bellingcat, Foreign Policy, The Daily Beast, Wired and others. She is the author of Recommended Reading: Amazon’s algorithms, conspiracy theories and extremist literature and The Long Tail of Influence Operations: A Case Study on News Front and the co-author of COVID-19 Disinformation Briefing No.4.

Emma Armfield is a Finance & Office Manager at ISD, responsible for the day to day running of the office finances. She has 10 years' experience working within finance across various sectors and is a fully qualified member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).

Alice Bartz is a Programme Operations Manager at ISD. She is responsible for project and grant managements, operational delivery and fundraising activities for projects sitting under ISD’s programmes portfolio across Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Alice has over a decade of experience in a range of project and grant management roles across the non-profit sector, in the UK and on the international level.

Hanna Börgmann is leading the research project "Countering Radicalization in Right-Wing Extremist Online Subcultures” at ISD Germany. She also works as an Educator for the Business Council for Democracy (BC4D), where she empowers employees to deal with hate speech, disinformation and conspiracy ideology online. Prior to joining ISD Germany, Hanna worked as a public sector consultant on digital transformation projects for PwC Germany and as a project coordinator for German-Israeli exchange in the field of innovation, including artificial intelligence, at ELNET Germany. Previously, Hanna earned her Master's degree in International Affairs at the Hertie School in Berlin, where she conducted research on antisemitic radicalization and mobilization in the image board subcultures of the so-called Chans, using the terrorist attack on the synagogue in Halle, Germany, as a case study.

Lucy Cooper is a Digital Research Analyst at ISD US. Lucy holds a BA in political science from Barnard College of Columbia University, where she focused on political behavior, voting and elections in the United States. She has previously worked on political campaigns in Michigan and as a research assistant.

Sara Bundtzen is a Research and Policy Analyst at ISD Germany. She is involved in the Digital Policy Lab (DPL), an intergovernmental working group focused on countering online disinformation, hate speech and extremism. She also supports ISD’s digital analysis of information manipulation, disinformation, propaganda and influence campaigns. Sara holds an MA in International Security from Sciences Po Paris and a BSc in European Studies from the University of Southern Denmark.

Dominik Hammer is a Research Manager at ISD Germany. Dominik focuses on the analysis of far-right online activities with an emphasis on qualitative research. Dominik’s prior research focused on democratic theory, the strengthening of democratic praxis and the analysis of antidemocratic movements. Dominik holds a MA in Political Science from the Dresden University of Technology and a BA in Governance and Public Policy from the University of Passau. He is currently working on his PhD in Political Theory.

Ellen Jacobs is a Digital Policy Manager for ISD US. She focuses on mitigating the effects of online harms, including those from disinformation, extremism and hate speech, by advancing ISD’s digital policy and tech accountability objectives. In her role, she represents ISD to a diverse array of stakeholders including elected officials, NGOs, academics, researchers, and others interested in platform accountability and regulation. Prior to joining ISD, Ellen was at the Omidyar Network, where her funding and advocacy work focused on issues related to platform accountability and open source technologies. Ellen holds an MIA in Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy from Columbia SIPA and a BA in International Studies from the University of Chicago.

Sabine Lawrence (she/they) is a Digital Research Analyst at ISD US, where she researches online hate, extremism and disinformation in the US. Prior to joining ISD, Sabine worked for Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research as a Digital Research Associate tracking disinformation narratives during the 2020 election and Fors Marsh Group fighting COVID-19 disinformation. Sabine holds a BSc in Anthropology from Virginia Commonwealth University School of World Studies, where she wrote her thesis on the philosophy and social dynamics of involuntarily celibate (incel) communities.

Eric Levai is a Digital Research Analyst writing about misinformation and conspiracy theories. He has reported for Rolling Stone, Daily Dot and other outlets.

Sina Laubenstein is an Educator at the Business Council for Democracy (#BC4D) at ISD Germany, as well as the co-lead of the Pan European Coalition to Counter Online Antisemitism project. In BC4D, she is involved with developing and implementing the BC4D training program for adult audiences, empowering them against a wide array of online harms (hate speech, disinformation and conspiracy myths). Additionally, Sina works for the Society for Civil Rights, consulting on the development of legal regulations against digital violence. Previously, Sina worked with the Council of Europe, implementing the initiative No Hate Speech Movement in Germany, while consulting with stakeholders in Germany and abroad. She holds an MA in Global Studies and Societal Change and a BA in Political Science. 

Hannah Rose is a Hate and Extremism Analyst at ISD, where she researches far-right extremism and antisemitism online. Previously, Hannah worked as a Research Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation, where she authored various reports, including focusing on young people’s involvement in violent extremist networks. Hannah is a PhD candidate in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, researching contemporary antisemitism across the far right. She also holds an MA with distinction from KCL in Terrorism, Security and Society, where she was awarded the department prize for best MA dissertation, and a first-class BA from the University of Bristol. Hannah is a trustee of the Union of Jewish Students in the UK and Ireland.

Marisa Wengeler is an Educator at the Business Council for Democracy (BC4D), an adult education project about digital citizenship. She trains employees on building resilience against hate speech, disinformation and conspiracy narratives online. Previously, she worked with different publishing houses on subscription and audience engagement strategies. She holds an M.A. in Journalism and Communication Science from the Free University of Berlin, where she mainly studied mobilisation strategies of right-wing extremist actors in digital networks.

Cécile Simmons is a Research Manager at ISD, specialising in malign influence operations targeting elections, public health and climate disinformation, far-right extremism and conspiracy theories. Her research includes social media network mapping, data analysis and ethnographic monitoring of closed online spaces. Her writing and commentary has been featured by the BBC, The Guardian, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and Wired, among others. She previously worked in publishing and journalism, and holds an MSc in International History from the London School of Economics.

Valeria de la Fuente is a Press and Public Relations Coordinator at ISD US. She manages our media relations and outreach to ensure ISD’s work continues to raise awareness and drive the discussion around extremism, hate, and disinformation. Before joining ISD, Valeria was a research assistant at the Program on Extremism, where she focused on violent extremist movements and trends across the US. She also worked at the Washington Institute for the Near East Policy on the Israeli-Arab relations portfolio and was as a helpline assistant at Parents for Peace assisting in counter-radicalization interventions. She holds an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University and a B.A. in Criminology from the University of Seville. 

Solveig Barth is a Project Coordinator at ISD Germany. Within the AHEAD project and the Pan-European Coalition to Counter Online Antisemitism (CCOA), she supports and coordinates the networking and exchange of actors in Germany and Europe in the fight against disinformation and antisemitism. This includes the development and implementation of awareness-raising campaigns and toolkits. Her previous experience spans across the NATO Civil-Military Cooperation Centre of Excellence (CCOE), the Military Co-Operation Command (MN CIMIC Cmd), the Collective for Research and Training on Development Action Beirut, and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Beirut. Solveig holds an MA in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from the University of Utrecht and a BA in International Relations and Management from the OTH Regensburg.

Emir Hasanovic is the Western Balkans Coordinator at ISD, responsible for Young Cities and Strong Cities coordination in the region, research and analysis, communications, and expansion. He is a strategic communications professional and project manager with international experience in consultancy, government, and non-profit sector. He has worked for communications agencies in the Middle East and the US, advising premier clients in government, environment, corporate social responsibility, human rights primarily. Emir has also served as Special Adviser to Deputy PM and Minister of Defence of North Macedonia for Communications and International relations. He has also been Program Development Officer for the USAID/OTI North Macedonia Support Initiative. Emir is a graduate of the Georgetown School of Foreign Service and is fluent in Albanian, Macedonian, Bosnian, and English, and he speaks conversational French.

Anita Lancaster is the Finance Coordinator at ISD US, providing support for expense processing across the US team and related projects. Prior to joining ISD US, she served in Finance and HR executive roles for educational and community non-profit organizations for over 15 years. She has a Master’s degree in Finance & Accounting from Pepperdine University in California; and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California in Accounting. Anita also has a Chief Business Official certification from USC/CASBO.

David Leenstra is Networks and Membership Coordinator at the Strong Cities Network (SCN). In this role, he manages the day-to-day interaction with member cities and processes applications of local governments that seek to join the network. He is also involved in developing and implementing strategies to improve SCN’s outreach and engagement with members. Prior to joining SCN, he was a Research Associate with ISD, contributing to a wide range of research projects focusing on extremism, hate and conspiracy theories online. He holds Master’s degrees in Conflict Studies & Human Rights from Utrecht University and in International Relations History from the University of Amsterdam. Following completion of these graduate programs, he conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Flanders on right-wing extremist youth movements and researched Islamic State’s online propaganda politics and legitimation strategies.

Krystalle Pinilla is a Communications Coordinator at ISD. She manages the external written content including publications, blog posts, newsletters and other outputs relating to our research, and assists in coordinating digital and broadcast media appearances. Before joining ISD, Krystalle was a Research Intern and Coordinator at the US Department of State, where she focused on CVE programmes, and disinformation in relation to terrorist and violent extremist groups. She has also worked for multiple years as a National Reporter and Editor for NBCUniversal’s Telemundo, a Spanish-language media company in the US. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Florida and a Master's in Geopolitics and Strategic Studies from the University Carlos III of Madrid.

Sameen is a Youth Civic Action Coordinator at ISD. She supports the delivery of the Young Cities programme, assisting in developing online communications, campaigns, and supporting youth activists and their projects in Belgium and Pakistan. Sameen holds an M.S. in Global Affairs with a Peacebuilding specialization from New York University, and a B.A. in Peace, Conflict, and Justice from the University of Toronto. Before joining ISD, she worked at the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) to develop strategic communications, digital advocacy campaigns, and coordinate a multimedia training program for local women-led peacebuilding organizations. As a graduate student, she was also a Consultant with the UN Counterterrorism Executive Directorate, and the Ugandan-based African Youth Initiative Network.