I am a political scientist researching the politics of authoritarian regimes, political control and collective action in Russia and the post-Soviet region.

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I am associate director and post-doctoral researcher at the Authoritarian Politics Lab at UNC-Chapel Hill.

My work examines how autocratic regimes react to demands for change from society. I conduct research on how autocrats use concessions and repression in response to protest, and the impact of these strategies on mobilization as well as policy change. I also investigate how "responsive" institutions, which allow citizens to request assistance with grievances, operate in autocracies. In another strand of research, I assess domestic factors that may have influenced Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

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As an expert in Russian and post-Soviet contemporary politics, I have shared insights with the US and international media, NGOs, the US State Department and more.

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I received my PhD in Political Science from the University of Michigan. I have also been post-doctoral fellow at New York University's Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia and at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University.

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I hold an MA in Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Regional Studies and a BA in Slavic Studies, both from Columbia University. My research has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation/Harriman Institute, among others.