Research
I use experiments and quantitative analysis to study migration, including how and why immigrants are excluded. This includes discrimination (labour market, housing, health care), attitudes to foreigners, and political reactions in public debates. Full listing of publications, and data.
Discrimination and Attitudes to Foreigners
I examine discrimination in different contexts (labour market, housing, health care) and related individual attitudes to foreigners and immigrants. Part of this research takes place in the context of the NCCR on the move (2018-2022, 2022-2026), or is funded by the SNIS (2015-2018) and the SNSF (2011-2013, 2022-2025, 2023-2026). We combine theories from sociology, economics, and political science, and mostly use field experiments and other quantitative methods.
Political Reactions in Public Debates
In related work, I look at political reactions in public debates. This involves different aspects of the politicization of migration, examining how, when, and why potential conflicts over migration become politicized. This includes examining party positions on immigration using different methods, text-as-data, and systematic media analyses in several countries (NCCR on the move, 2022-2026).Other Research
Political representation (Mercator Foundation, 2023-2025) and participation of women and ethnic groups in national legislatures.
I coordinate the Swiss-African Migration Network (SAM): https://www.unine.ch/sfm/en/recherche/sam/. SAM Survey, N=1750 respondents in each country, May 2021. Codebook on OSF.
SWISSUbase list of research projects I am or was involved in: https://www.swissubase.ch/en/catalogue/persons/14459/4455/overview
Team
Valeriia Hett — PhD researcher
Alessandra Polidori — postdoc (health, jointly with Gianni D'Amato)
Irina Radu — PhD researcher (health, with Gianni D'Amato)
Maarja Vollmer — PhD researcher (politicization, jointly with Gianni D'Amato)
Anna Marino — PhD researcher (politicization, with Matteo Gianni)
Carol Pierre — PhD researcher (politicization, with Gianni D'Amato)
Former Team Members
Sabina Hadzipasic — research assistant (health, migration)
Siwar Khelifa — postdoc (labour market, refugees, with Bruno Lanz)
Sacha Mandelbaum — research assistant (health, migration)
Silvia Domeniconi Pfister — PhD researcher
Marco Pecoraro — senior researcher (labour market, well-being, with Bruno Lanz)
Julien Beaud — research assistant (labour market, refugees)
Niyousha Hosseini — research assistant (labour market, refugees)
Natalia Malancu — postdoc (refugees, well-being)
Sargam Goundar — visiting researcher (politicization)
Anouk Albien — Marie Curie visiting (migration)
Fodé Samb — research officer (politicization)
Andreas Genoni — visiting research fellow (migration)
Chloé Salathé — research intern (labour market, well-being, refugees)
Eva Van Belle — postdoc (discrimination)
Oriana Polero Cardoso — research assistant (politicization, discrimination)
Luca Bernasconi — research intern (discrimination, attitudes)
Veronica Preotu — postdoc (politicization; attitudes to immigrants, with Tobias Müller)
Anaïs Zodeougan — research assistant (discrimination)
Margaux Quadroni — research assistant (politicization)
Manon Reith — research assistant (politicization)
Marilyn Ducommun — research assistant (politicization)
Lora Zanasco — research assistant (politicization)
Cheryl Kwok — research assistant (politicization)
Julie Mancini — research assistant (discrimination), research intern (politicization)
Olivia Gasser — research assistant (discrimination)
Claire El Attar — research assistant (discrimination)
Maud Rouvinez — research assistant (discrimination)
Sjoerdje van Heerden — postdoc (attitudes to immigrants)
Carla Xena — postdoc (attitudes to immigrants, with Sergi Pardos-Prado)
Brian Murahwa — research assistant (political representation)
Clem Aeppli — research intern (politicization, measurement)
Bukiwe Tambulu — research assistant (politicization)
Sethelile Ntlhakana — research assistant (politicization)
Jane Thato Dewah — research assistant (political representation)
Marco Pecoraro — postdoc (attitudes to immigrants)
Camilla Alberti — research intern (immigration policies)
Updated 20 July 2025