People

Centre Staff, Researchers & Visitors

NadineAlmanasfi400

Nadine Almanasfi | Events and Engagement Manager

n.almanasfi@lse.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7955 6198

Mustafa-AlSoufi-400

Mustafa Al-Soufi | Programme Coordinator, PeaceRep Iraq

m.m.al-soufi@lse.ac.uk

AmiraDjuric400

Amira Djuric | Communications Coordinator

a.djuric@lse.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7955 7497

TobyDodge

Professor Toby Dodge | Kuwait Professor

b.t.dodge@lse.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)20 7955 6176

YasmineKherfi

Yasmine Kherfi | Assistant Editor

y.kherfi@lse.ac.uk

kendall-livingston-400

Kendall Livingston | Projects Manager 

k.livingston@lse.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7955 3625 

RobertLowe

Robert Lowe | Deputy Director

r.lowe@lse.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7955 6365 

michael-mason-400x400

Professor Michael Mason | Director

m.mason@lse.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7852 3661

Mercedes-Masters-400

Mercedes Masters | Programme Coordinator, Kuwait Programme

m.c.masters@lse.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)20 7955 6639

jack-mcginn-400-400

Jack McGinn | Communications Manager

j.mcginn@lse.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7955 6932

SalmaK-photo

Salma Moustafa Khalil | Conference Coordinator

s.i.moustafa-khalil@lse.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7955 6250

Research Staff

Afrah_200x200x2

Afrah Al Matwari | Research Assistant

Afrah is Research Assistant for the project 'Managing Religious Diversity in the Middle East: Al Muhasasa Ta'ifia in Iraq, 2003–18'.

Youmna Maghreby

Youmna Maghraby | 2023–24 Mohamed Al Fahim Scholar

Youmna is the 2023–24 recipient of the Mohamed Al Fahim Scholarship. She is studying for a Master's in Anthropology and Development at LSE. 

Arda Bilgen photo

Dr Arda Bilgen | Research Officer

Arda is Research Officer working on the project 'Surface Water Changes in the Euphrates-Tigris Basin since 1984 and their Governance Implications for Iraq'.

PollyWithers400

Dr Polly Withers | Research Officer

Polly is a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow at the LSE Middle East Centre, where she leads the project 'Neoliberal Visions: Gendering Consumer Culture and its Resistances in the Levant'.

Visiting Fellows and Professors 

Hanaa Almoaibed_HighRes

Dr Hanaa Almoaibed | Visiting Fellow

Hanaa is Fellow at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. Her research explores the influence of social dynamics on work and education amongst youth in the GCC.

Madawi Al Rasheed

Professor Madawi Al Rasheed | Visiting Professor

Madawi was Professor of Anthropology of Religion at King’s College, London between 1994 and 2013. Previously, she was Prize Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford.

Amnon-Small

Dr Amnon Aran | Visiting Professor

Amnon is Professor of International Relations at City, University of London. His research interests lie in the international relations of the Middle East and foreign policy analysis. 

fulya atacan

Professor Fulya Atacan | Visiting Professor

Fulya’s research focuses on social change and Islamic institutions and movements in modern Turkey and Egypt, with particular interest in their organisational structure and politics.

Marouf Cabi New

Dr Marouf Cabi | Visiting Fellow

Marouf's research focuses on modern Iran and its ethnic structure, Kurdish society in Iran, and its social and political movements, especially since WWII.

MariaFantappie

Dr Maria Luisa Fantappie | Visiting Fellow

Maria Luisa is Visiting Fellow at the LSE Middle East Centre. Her research explores informal power in post-conflict and post-authoritarian settings. 

Toby Greene 2023

Dr Toby Greene | Visiting Fellow

Toby is Visiting Fellow at the LSE Middle East Centre. He researches and teaches foreign policy, with a focus on civilisational identity politics in the Middle East and Europe.

Jeroen Gunning 200

Dr Jeroen Gunning | Visiting Professor

Jeroen is Visiting Professor at the LSE Middle East Centre. His research focuses on political contestation in the Middle East, with a specific focus on social movements, religion and structural change.

zoe hurley

Dr Zoe Hurley | Visiting Fellow

Zoe is Assistant Professor in the College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Zayed University. Her research focuses on postdigital cultures, feminist-semiotics and social media in the Gulf. 

Zeynep Kaya

Dr Zeynep Kaya | Visiting Fellow

Zeynep is Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Sheffield. Her main research areas involve borderlands, territoriality, conflict, peace, political legitimacy and gender in the Middle East. 

Mostafa Khalili

Dr Mostafa Khalili | Visiting Fellow

Mostafa is Assistant Professor at the Hakubi Center for Advanced Research at Kyoto University. He held a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship at Sophia University and worked as a Research Associate at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and Chiba University. 

HughRoberts_square_400

Prof. Hugh Roberts | Visiting Professor

Hugh is a specialist on North Africa and focuses on Algeria. He was Director of the International Crisis Group’s North Africa Project from 2002–07 and again from February to July 2011.

Anne-Kirstine-Ronn-400

Dr Anne Kirstine Rønn | Visiting Fellow

Anne Kirstine's research explores opposition movements in ethno-religiously divided societies, with a particular focus on Lebanon and Iraq. 

greg-shapland-crop 1

Greg Shapland | Visiting Senior Fellow

Greg is an independent researcher, writer and consultant on politics, security, resources and environment (including water) in the Middle East and North Africa.

Ahmed Tabaqchali 200x

Ahmed Tabaqchali | Visiting Fellow

Ahmed is Chief Strategist of the AFC Iraq Fund. His research focuses on Iraq’s economy, with a specific focus on the economic aspects of the relationship between the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Veli Yardigi

Dr Veli Yadirgi | Visiting Fellow

Veli's research covers the political economy of development, colonialism and decolonisation as well as comparative politics of the Middle East.

Associates

Omar 2019

Dr Omar Al-Ghazzi 

Omar is Assistant Professor at the Department of Media and Communications. He researches the reporting and representation of conflict, digital journalism and the politics of time and memory, focusing on the Middle East and North Africa.

Roham Alvandi

Dr Roham Alvandi 

Roham is Associate Professor of International History at LSE. His current research focuses on global human rights activism and the origins of the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

Ashton169

Professor Nigel Ashton

Nigel is Professor of International History at LSE. His main research surrounds the fields of contemporary Anglo-American relations and the international history of the Middle East.

Lydia Assouad

Dr Lydia Assouad

Lydia is Assistant Professor of International Development at LSE. Her research lies at the intersection of political economy, development economics and economic history, with a particular focus on the Middle East.

deema awad

Dr Deema Awad

Deema is currently LSE Fellow in the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science where she teaches on the BSc Psychological and Behavioural Science programme.

zarbadegan

Dr Zeinab Azarbadegan

Zeinab is a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of International History at LSE. Her current project examines the assertion of multiple sovereignties over the population of Ottoman Iraq.

Bauer, Martin 200x200

Professor Martin W. Bauer

Martin is Professor of Social Psychology in the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science at the LSE, and Co-PI on the Kuwait Programme project on science culture in Kuwait.

bicchi-federica-300x300

Dr Federica Bicchi 

Federica is Associate Professor of International Relations of Europe at LSE. Her research interest lies in EU foreign policy and external relations - especially as they relate to the Middle East and to the Mediterranean.

Ryan in Cuba

Dr Ryan Centner 

Ryan is Assistant Professor of Urban Geography at LSE. His research revolves around a core interest in urban transformation at the nexus of social, spatial, and economic change.

Portrait photo of Professor John Chalcraft

Professor John Chalcraft

John is Professor of Middle East History and Politics at the Department of Government. He works on history and politics ‘from below’ in the modern Middle East and North Africa.

Ernestina Coast

Professor Ernestina Coast

Ernestina is Professor of Health and International Development at the Department of International Development at LSE. She is Co-PI on an MEC project looking at health in wars and conflicts.

costa-i-font-200x200

Dr Joan Costa-i-Font 

Joan is Associate Professor (Reader) in Health Economics at the Department of Health Policy at LSE. He is PI on an MEC project exploring health inequality in the MENA region.

Nuno Ferreira da Cruz

Dr Nuno F. da Cruz

Nuno is Assistant Professorial Research Fellow at LSE Cities. He is Co-PI on the Kuwait Programme project 'Governance of Spatial Change: Shaping Urban Policies and Investments in Kuwait'.

muna dajani

Dr Muna Dajani

Muna is an LSE Fellow in Environment in the Department of Geography and Environment at LSE. Her work aims to understand environmental and water governance through decolonial and critical lenses.

dalacoura-katerina-2019-300x300

Dr Katerina Dalacoura

Katerina is Associate Professor in International Relations at LSE. Her latest research focuses on the role of culture and civilisation in International Relations with special reference to Turkey.

Yazan Doughan profile

Dr Yazan Doughan

Yazan is Assistant Professor at the Department of Anthropology. He researches the question of social justice in contemporary postcolonial contexts, particularly in Jordan.

George Gaskell

Professor George Gaskell

George is Emeritus Professor of Social Psychology and Research Methodology at the Department of Methodology at LSE.

mazen gharibah

Mazen Gharibah

Mazen is Research Associate at the Conflict and Civil Society Research Unit in the Department of International Development at LSE. His work focuses on the role of governance during and post conflict with a focus on Syria.

pooya 2022 (1)

Dr Pooya Ghoddousi

Pooya is an LSE Fellow in Human Geography in the Department of Geography and Environment. His research focuses on nomadism, identity and Iran.

alexandra-gomes

Dr Alexandra Gomes

Alexandra is Research Fellow at LSE Cities and is PI on a ACAUP project and Co-PI on a Kuwait Programme project. Her projects focus on urban planning, public space and mobilty. 

gürsoy-yaprak-200x200

Professor Yaprak Gürsoy

Yaprak is Chair of Contemporary Turkish Studies at LSE. Her main areas of interest are Turkey’s relations with the West and the UK, and Turkish politics in comparison with Europe.

Ellen-Helsper

Professor Ellen Helsper

Ellen is Professor of Digital Inequalities at the Department of Media and Communications. She is a Co-PI on the Kuwait Programme project 'Evaluating Digital Skills and Tangible Outcomes in Kuwait'.

Jeniffer Jackson Preece

Dr Jennifer Jackson-Preece

Jennifer is Associate Professor in Nationalism at the European Institute and the Department of International Relations at LSE. She is PI on an MEC collaboration project with UAEU.

Naila-Kabeer

Professor Naila Kabeer

Naila is Professor of Gender and Development at LSE. Her research interests include gender, poverty, and social exclusion, her research is mostly focused on South and South East Asia.

emrah karakus

Dr Emrah Karakus

Emrah is a Fellow in the Department of Gender Studies at LSE. His interdisciplinary research lies at the intersection of cultural anthropology, critical security studies, and gender and sexuality studies, with a focus on the modern Middle East.

Mohsen Khezri

Dr Mohsen Khezri

Mohsen is Visiting Senior Fellow at the Department of Geography and Environment at LSE. His research applies advanced econometric methodologies to investigate critical issues in environmental and energy economics, intending to inform policy decisions in oil-exporting nations.

Tiziana Leone

Dr Tiziana Leone

Tiziana is Associate Professor in Health and International Development at LSE. She was PI on an MEC collaboration project looking at health in wars and conflicts.

motazed-rad-anahita-200x200

Dr Anahita Motazed Rad

Anahita is Visiting Senior Fellow in the Department of International Relations, LSE. Her research focuses on international politics and development in the Middle East, specifically in Iran. 

susana-mourato

Professor Susana Mourato 

Susana is Professor of Environmental Economics, Academic Director of LSE Summer School, and Associate of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

Dena Qaddumi 200x200

Dr Dena Qaddumi

Dena is Fellow in City Design and Social Science at the Department of Sociology at LSE. Her research focuses on the materialization of revolution in cities.

Mohammed-SALEH-200x200

Dr Mohamed Saleh

Mohamed is Associate Professor of Economic History at LSE. His research is focused on the Economic History of the Middle East and North Africa.

Sara Salem

Dr Sara Salem

Sara is Assistant Professor at the Department of Sociology. Her work explores the connections between postcolonial theory and Marxism, with special attention to the context of Egypt.

Romola Sanyal (1) Cropped

Dr Romola Sanyal

Romola is Associate Professor in Urban Geography at LSE. Her research focuses on the relationship between forced migration and urbanisation with a focus on India and Lebanon.

hakan-seckinelgin

Dr Hakan Seckinelgin

Hakan is Associate Professor at the Department of Social Policy at LSE. His work focuses on both the epistemology and politics of international social policy.

Jennifer-Sheehy-Skeffington-200x200-Cropped-200x200

Dr Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington

Jennifer is Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at LSE. Her research investigates the psychological impact of experiencing low socioeconomic status at times of rising inequality.

Hyun

Professor Hyun Bang Shin

Hyun is Professor of Geography and Urban Studies at LSE. He is PI on the Kuwait Programme project 'Asian Capital and the Rise of Smart Urbanism in Kuwait'.

ganga shreedhar 200x200

Dr Ganga Shreedhar

Ganga is Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science at LSE. She is interested in how, when and why people take action – or fail to – to address complex global environmental social dilemmas.

Sood

Dr Gagan Sood

Gagan is Assistant Professor at the Department of International History at LSE. His main research interests lie in the Middle East and South Asia between the 17th and 19th centuries.

Surminski, Swenja 200x200

Dr Swenja Surminski

Swenja is Deputy Director and Head of Adaptation Research at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, LSE, and PI on a Kuwait Programme project on flood resilience in Kuwait.

Bugra Susler 2

Dr Buğra Süsler

Buğra is Visiting Fellow at LSE IDEAS. His research focuses on Turkish foreign policy, emerging powers, and international conflict and cooperation. 

miriam tresh

Dr Miriam Tresh

Miriam is Assistant Professorial Lecturer at the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science at LSE. Her research looks at public perceptions and the psychological impact of Covid-19 in Libya.

rim turkmani_300x300

Dr Rim Turkmani

Rim is Research Fellow at the Conflict and Civil Society Research Unit at LSE. She directs the Syria conflict research programme at the Unit.

walters.james-2

Professor James Walters

Jim is Professor in Practice in the Department of International Relations and leads the LSE Religion and Global Society research unit. He is active in interfaith dialogues across the Middle East and leads educational visits to Israel and Palestine that deepen students’ understanding of the religious dimensions of the conflict.

Frederick Wojnarowski pofile pic

Dr Frederick Wojnarowski

Fred is British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Anthropology at LSE. Fred is interested in the political and economic anthropology and history of the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean, especially Jordan.