About me

I am a Professor of Digital Media and Society in the Strategic Communication Group at Wageningen University & Research (WUR). My research explores how digitalization affects society and democracy, with a particular focus on data-driven political targeting, social media and polarization, online political communication, news consumption, and digital journalism.

I am the principal investigator of an ERC Starting Grant (2021–2026) on the impact of online political targeting and an NWO Vidi Grant (2025–2030) on the effects of social media on polarization. From 2020 to 2023, I coordinated a NORFACE consortium project on data-driven campaigning, leading research and impact activities across four international universities.

I am also the co-founder and director of the Digital Data and Democracy Lab, a member of the Gravitation Program “Public Values in the Algorithmic Society (AlgoSoc)”, and coordinator of the Human Factor in New Technology Sector Plan at WUR.

Currently, I serve as a board member of the Sociaal-Wetenschappelijke Raad (SWR) of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and as an editorial board member for several leading journals, including Human Communication Research, The International Journal of Press/Politics, Digital Journalism, Media and Communication, and Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschap. I previously served on the editorial board of the Journal of Communication and have guest-edited special issues for Digital Journalism, Journalism Studies, and Media and Communication.

My work has been recognized with several national and international awards, including the KNAW Early Career Award, the ICA Herbert S. Dordick Dissertation Award, and the NeFCA Young Scholar Award.

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