Senior Lecturer in Arabic Studies, University of Westminster I am a Senior Lecturer in Arabic Studies at the University of Westminster. I obtained my PhD from SOAS, University of Westminster, and taught there for a number of years. Before that, I studied English Language and Literature at the University of Birzeit in Palestine. I have been active writing on Palestinian-Israeli politics for a number of websites, including International Relations, and the Electronic Intifada. My books include The Hizbullah Phenomenon: Politics and Communication (with Dina Matar and lina Khatib, 2014), Poetry and Politics in the Modern Arab World (2016) and A Map of Absence: An Anthology of Palestinian Writing on the Nakba (2019). My interests include politics of the Middle East, Literature and Cultural Studies. I am a member of a number of research centres and institutes, including the Palestine Studies Centre and The Middle East Institute in London at SOAS.
Associate Professor in the School of Economics, University of Johannesburg Alexis Habiyaremye is an associate professor in the School of Economics at the University of Johannesburg. His research interests include innovation & industrial policy, labour market dynamics, technological change and export diversification. He has published extensively on industrial capacity building, economic policy uncertainty, economic stimulus & job creation, innovation policy, and beneficiation of natural resources.
Assistant Professor, Political Science, MacEwan University Dr. Andrea Wagner is a Jean Monnet Chair [1] and Assistant Professor of Political Science at MacEwan University. She obtained her Ph.D. in Political Science and Political Economy from Carleton University in 2016. Her current research focuses on populist and anti-immigrant attitudes in the European Union and North America. Her research so far has been published in highly ranked political science journals such as Comparative European Politics and Political Studies. Dr. Andrea Wagner’s recent publications: Wagner, A., Pietrasik, E., & Kroqi, D. (2021) ”The Rise and Challenge of Populism”, in Abelson and Brooks Transatlantic Relations: Challenge and Resilience, Routledge Publishing. Wagner, A., Marin, J., Bouwer, R., & Kroqi, D. (2020) ”Media(ted) frame analysis of the Spanish- Catalan political crisis”, in Byrne S., El Procés: Identity and Nation in 21st Century Catalonia, Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Hurrelmann A, and Wagner A. (2020) "Did the Eurozone Crisis Undermine the European Union’s Legitimacy? An analysis of newspaper reporting 2009-2014 ” Comparative European Politics. Wagner A, Marin J, and Kroqi D (2019) “The Catalan struggle for independence and the role of the European Union”, Regional Science Policy and Practice, Volume 11, Issue 5. Dr. Wagner’s profile at MacEwan University: https://www.macewan.ca/academics/academic-departments/anthropology-economics-political-science/our-people/political-science/profile/?profileid=wagnera27 [1] Here is an excerpt from European Commission’s website on the Jean Monnet Chair grant: “Jean Monnet Chairs are designed to: (1) deepen teaching in EU studies embodied in the official curriculum of a higher education institution and (2) provide in-depth teaching on EU matters in areas increasingly in demand in the labour market. Jean Monnet Chairs are also encouraged to provide open educational resources and involve open education activities in their work to increase the flexibility and accessibility of learning.” Erasmus: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/opportunities/opportunities-for-organisations/jean-monnet-actions/jean-monnet-chairs
Clinical Lecturer in Metabolic Medicine, University of Cambridge I am a Clinical Lecturer in Metabolic Medicine at the University of Cambridge. My research aims to understand the consequences of obesity on hormone regulation and immune function to improve treatment for people living with obesity. Obesity leads to more frequent and severe infections, which became poignantly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, immune dysfunction in obesity is poorly understood and understudied. Treatment and clinical outcomes of (severe) infections in people with obesity may be improved by understanding the underlying processes that drive immune dysfunction.
Assistant professor, Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology, Carleton University Our research centers on basic and applied questions related to contaminants in the environment. We use tools from environmental chemistry and toxicology to understand (1) where contaminants come from and where they go, (2) who gets exposed, and (3) the biological implications after exposure. We explore routes of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a diverse class of over 8000 chemicals. PFAS have strong carbon-fluorine bonds that make them useful in many products, imparting grease- and water-resistance. But the same properties make some PFAS environmentally persistent and bioaccumulative. Due to the structural diversity of PFAS, we use them as chemical probes to understand the underpinnings of biological transformation pathways. We elucidate enzymes and organisms responsible for transformation to explore biological mechanisms and conditions that may reduce the burden of PFAS contamination. We also use biological models to study how exposure to one or more pollutants impacts signaling pathways involved in cell stress. Analytical chemistry and biochemical tools are coupled to gain insights into the mechanism of action of pollutants and their biological targets. We are committed to doing environmental research with broad impact and for use in management decisions. To do so, we frequently collaborate with other academics, non-profit organizations, and government agencies.
Teaching Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Humanities, and Philosophy, West Virginia University Alyssa Beall received her PhD in Religion from Syracuse University in 2010. She is currently a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Programs for Religious Studies and Humanities in the Department of Philosophy at West Virginia University. Her teaching and research centers on Religion, Ethics, and Popular Culture, particularly how media sources both impact and reflect our actions in society.
