Elena is a political science graduate from the University of Amsterdam with an international background, having lived in Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. She specializes in Comparative Politics, with a focus on political behaviour, regime change, and contemporary challenges to democracy. She is currently engaged in collaborative research with the University of Amsterdam and Leiden University on institutional checks and balances, while also coordinating academic conferences and preparing to work with Latin American embassies. Her long-term objective is to contribute to evidence-based policymaking at the European level, including within international organizations, think tanks, and research institutes examining the democratic risks and opportunities associated with emerging technologies.