Group members

Manuel Castells
Founding Member and Research Associate. Former Principal Investigator

Manuel is a Spanish sociologist recognized for his research on the information society, communication, and globalization. The Social Science Citation Index, with data between 2000 and 2015, ranks him as the fourth most cited social scientist in the world, and the first in the field of communications. He has served as a Ministry of Universities for the Spanish Government from January 2020 to December 2021. 

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Rosa Borge Bravo
Group Leader

Associate Professor in Political Science (UOC). PhD in Political Science and Sociology (Deusto University -Bilbao-). She has been an Associate Director of the Doctoral Program in Information and Knowledge Society at UOC, Visiting Scholar at the University of Michigan and Senior Researcher at the Pompeu Fabra University. Her main areas of research are online deliberation and participation, social networks and the use of social media and digital platforms by local governments and political parties.

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Antonio Calleja-López
Technopolitics Coordinator

PhD in Sociology (University of Exeter), D.E.A. in Philosophy (University of Seville) and M.A. in Political Science (Arizona State University). Antonio studies, with a descriptive and normative perspective, the multifarious connections between technology, politics, and society, from the platformization of social movements, the public sphere, political parties and the State to the sociotechnical construction and governance of data and digital infrastructures. 

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Andrea Rosales
Digital Societies Coordinator

Andrea Rosales is Associated Professor, at the Communication Studies of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, in topics related to big data, data analytics, and data visualization in social media. Her research focuses on the challenges of datafied societies, the impact of stereotypes and design biases on automated, algorithm-based decisions. She explores how it impacts data justice and power distribution particularly, but not only, regarding age-based discrimination (ageism), and how automated decisions deprioritize, disregard or disempower minorities and disadvantaged collectives by not considering their values, interests, and habits.

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Mireia Fernández-Ardèvol
UOC Associate Professor and Senior Researcher in Information and Communication Sciences

Mobile communication has been one of her main areas of research since 2003, adopting a combined approach of sociology and economics. She is interested in both developed and developing countries. With a background in economics, she obtained her doctoral degree at the University of Barcelona. In her research she takes a multidisciplinary approach, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques.

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Sara Suárez-Gonzalo
UOC Lecturer and Researcher in Information and Communication Sciences

PhD in Communication (Universitat Pompeu Fabra). Her research focuses on the social and political implications of data-driven technologies, with special emphasis on their effects on democracy, social justice and fundamental rights. Beyond academia, she has professional experience in algorithmic auditing and digital public policy consulting.

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Juan Linares
Researcher

PhD in Communication (Universitat Pompeu Fabra). BA in Audiovisual Communication at the University of Barcelona (UB), and MA in Advanced Studies in Social Communication at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)

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Alejandra López Gabrielidis
Researcher

With a background in philosophy and the digital arts, her research interests lay in the interwoven relationships between the body and data from a distributed agency paradigm.

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Arnau Monterde
Researcher (on leave)

PhD in Information and Knowledge Society at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC). Coordinator of the Technopolitics area in the Communication Networks and Social Change research group at the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (2011-2018).

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Marta Cambronero Garbajosa
Granted PhD Student

Journalist and communication consultant, Marta is a full-time PhD student in the Information and Knowledge Society program at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC).

Master Thesis
Daniel Blanche-Tarragó
Granted PhD Student

Daniel is a doctoral candidate in Information and Knowledge Society at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). He conducts research on ageing, sociopolitical participation, and (digital) media technologies. 

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Tatiana Fernández Paredes
Granted PhD Student
Sociologist, with a master's degree in Development Cooperation, Public Management and NGOD's, I am currently a pre-doctoral fellow at the Ministry of Science and Innovation in the project: The new online public sphere in the deliberative system: political deliberation on Twitter and on the platforms of political parties in Spain (ONPARTDEL). I am currently in my first year of my PhD which will deal with populism in Spain and its deliberative strategies in social networks.
Ronald Sáenz Leandro
Granted PhD Student
Political Scientist. He has a degree in Political Science (University of Costa Rica) and a Master's degree in Latin American Studies (University of Salamanca). Among his main research areas are: comparative politics with a focus on Latin America stand out; Social research methodology; protests, collective actions and technopolitics; and the Social Studies of Science and Technology (CTS).
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Francisca Morey
Research Assistant

MA in Statistics and Operational Research at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). BA in Sociology at University of Barcelona (UB). She is interested in social research, combining the two perspectives: quantitative and qualitative.

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Adrià Mompó Ruiz
Research Assistant

I hold a Master in Political Science from de UAB and a Bachelor degree in Political Sciences and Public Administration from the UV. Currently, I am a research assistant at the UOC and I have collaborated with think tanks such as Coppieters Foundation and Nexe. My main research field are political parties and the impact of the ICTs over their internal democracy processes and decision-making. Beyond, my interest is to enquire into the effects of digitalisation over democratic systems.

Joel Peiruza Parga
Research Assistant

Joel is a Political Scientist and holds a MA in Political Analysis and Institutional Advisory (UB) and a postgraduate course in Data Analysis (UB). He is currently a PhD student in Law and Political Science. His research focuses on understanding the dynamics of political representation at the local level. His interests lie around the functioning of representation in the context of digital citizen participation. His approach is characterized by an interdisciplinary perspective that explores the relationship between normative theory and empirical social sciences.

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David Carbonell Mateo
Research Assistant

Political scientist specializing in data analysis applied to social sciences and sociopolitical behavior. Currently collaborates with the CNSC research group, the Geopolitics, Conflict, and Human Rights (GEOCONDAH) group of Law and Political Science at UOC, and the REPBIAS project (IPERG/UAB). In parallel, he pays special attention to the field of political philosophy, particularly following the works of Critical Theory.

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Inés Montoya Espinagosa
Research Assistant

Graduated in Physics (UB) and with a Postgraduate degree in Atmosphere, Oceans and Climate (UoR). She is currently studying an MSc in Interactive Intelligent Systems (UPF), collaborates with the CNSC research group and supports the R&D project on social networks and political parties. Her areas of interest focus on programming, with special attention to image processing and computer vision, including the application of machine learning techniques and artificial intelligence methodologies for image analysis.

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Soumiya Benaali Bakkar
Research Assisstant

Graduate in Translation and Interpretation (UAB). I studied the Master's in Political Analysis and Institutional Consulting and the Postgraduate in Data Analysis for Social Sciences (UB). Currently, I am a student of the Bachelor's in International Relations (UOC) and the PhD program in the Department of Political Science at Trinity College Dublin (TCD).

My areas of interest include data analysis applied to social sciences, the intersection between politics and international relations, and the use of quantitative tools, including machine learning methodologies, for textual analysis in political contexts.

Laia Márquez Muñoz
Research Assistant

Graduated in Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Girona and inter-university master's degree (UAB-UB-UPF-Escola d'Administración Pública de Catalunya) in Public Management. PhD student in political science at the University of Girona. She has worked for the Pi Sunyer Foundation on a transparency project for the electronic headquarters of Catalan local entities. One of the lines of research addressed in recent years is the implementation of digital platforms in participatory processes.

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Enrique Rodríguez García
Research Assistant

Data analyst, business intelligence consultant and social researcher. Graduate in Statistics, Graduate in Market Research and Marketing, Postgraduate in Data Mining, Postgraduate in Data Science and Postgraduate in Social Anthropology. With 26 years of experience in data analysis, business intelligence and market research, he has worked for third sector entities, social economy entities, public administration, advertising agencies, end clients and market research institutes. He has also been an associate professor of Data Journalism, Data Mining, Market Research and Marketing.

Marc Esteve del Valle
External Associate Researcher
Marc is an External Associate Researcher at the CNSC group. He works as an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Media and Journalism Studies at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. His research and teaching interests lie at the intersection between new media, digital democracy and social networks.
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Emanuele Cozzo
External Associate Researcher

Emanuele Cozzo got his degree in Physics at the "Sapienza" University of Rome. There, also began his interest in critical science, tapping on the tradition of the department of Physics. He got his PhD in complex systems and networks at the BiFi / University of Zaragoza.

Mariana Aldrete
External Associate Researcher

Mariana holds a PhD in Media, Communication and Culture (Autonomous University of Barcelona), M. in Law (National Autonomous University of Mexico), and a Bachelor in Law (Autonomous University of the State of Mexico). She was a visitor researcher from 2018 to 2019 at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR, Amsterdam University). Her research focuses on media analysis and media effects in the topics of femicide, gender violence, migration, and social movements, by using a mix method approach. Mariana also works in collaborative projects with Mexican government aimed to sensitize public servers about gender violence issues, and develop communication techniques with gender perspective.  

Madelin Gómez-León
External Associate Researcher

Madelin is a demographer scientist with a Ph.D. in Demography (Autonomous University of Barcelona-UAB, 2013). She joined the CNSC research group at IN3-UOC in September 2019 to carry out a 3-year research project “Understanding inequalities in (healthy) life expectancy in later life. An international comparison- InHALE.”

David Dueñas-Cid
External Associate Researcher

Researcher in Digitalization of Public Administration and Internet Voting at Gdansk University of Technology (Poland). Holder of a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant for researching “The Dynamics of Trust and Distrust Creation on Internet Voting”, President of the Thematic Group of Digital Sociology at ISA, General Chair at the E-Vote-ID Conference, Program Chair at the International Conference on Digital Government Research (2023 and 2024).

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Adrià Rodríguez-Pérez
External Associate Researcher

Political scientist and jurist, with a PhD in Electoral Law and Information and Communication Technologies from the Rovira i Virgili University. His research focuses on the intersection of digital technologies, fundamental rights, and their (global) governance. He has experience in both the public and private sectors and has taught at several Catalan universities, including the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Universitat Pompeu Fabra University, the International Studies Center of the Universitat de Barcelona, and at Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals. He currently works at the Venice Commission, the advisory body on constitutional matters of the Council of Europe.

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Andreu Belsunces Gonçalves
PhD Student

Sociologist of design and technology. He researches socio-technical assemblages focusing on their policies and intervenes in them through collaborative, textual and interactive practices.

Ekaitz Cancela
PhD Student

Ekaitz Cancela is a journalist and essayist. He is currently researching the decline of Europe, the structural changes of capitalism and its respective geopolitical context.

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Jorge Bronet Campos
PhD Student

Jorge holds a BA in Political Science (UCM) and an MA in Knowledge Management (UOC). He is currently a PhD student of the Society, Technology and Culture programme (UOC). His research line is about the IPD (Intra-Party Democracy) of the European new digital parties. He is a research assistant for the OnPartDel project

Raül Rodriguez Fernandez
PhD Student

With a background in law, criminology and political science, he is currently a PhD student in the Society, Technology and Culture program at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). His research line and main interest is focused on public policies of transparency and participation and their impacts on citizens.

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Ana Margarita Marroquín Parducci
PhD Student

Trained in Communication and Journalism (Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas), Hispanic Lexicography (RAE) and Digital Communication and Culture (Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro), she is now studying for a PhD in Society, Technology and Culture at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). His research interests are social movements (collective and connective action), digital citizenship and digital political communication.

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Tayrine Dos Santos Dias
PhD Student

Tayrine holds a MA in Political Science from the University of Brasilia in Brazil. Currently, she is a PhD student in Information and Knowledge Society at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC).

Pau Adelantado
Research Assistant

Pau Adelantado has a degree in sociology (UAB), a degree in design and interaction by ELISAVA (Universitat Pompeu Fabra) and a Master in Information Society and Knowledge (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya). He participates in innovation projects for public and private organizations, co-founded the social innovation cooperative BitLab, and has developed his professional career in organizations such as I2CAT, EVERIS, INDUCT, among others.

Jorge Chamorro
Research Assistant

Jorge has a degree in Computer Engineering from the Universidad de Granada (UGR) and a Master's Degree in Cognitive Systems and Interactive Media from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF). Currently, he is collaborating with the Computer Vision Group of UGR where he has focused his research on Text Mining, Sociology of Science and
bibliometrics.

Sarah Wagner
Associate Postdoctoral Researcher

Sarah is an adjunct postdoctoral researcher in the CNSC group. Since 2012 her research has explored the intersections of (digital) communication practices and ICT service systems. Combining political economy research with community-based collaboration, she has been examining the factors that shape individuals’ civic positioning in digitalization.

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Cora van Leeuwen
Visiting Researcher

Cora is a PhD candidate for Media and Communication Studies from the Vrije Universiteit Brussels and for Information Systems at the University of the Western Cape (Cape Town). She was a visiting scholar from June to July 2024. She is interested in the interaction between ageing and digital technologies. Specifically examining how ageism influences the digital engagement of older people. 

Juan Manuel Henao Bermúdez
Visiting Researcher

Graphic Designer and Master in Design and Interactive Creation. Currently, he is a part-time associate professor at the University Institution of Fine Arts in Cali, Colombia, at the Faculty of Visual and Applied Arts. He works from a research-creation approach on topics related to sustainability, social issues, and the use of technology by communities to manage their communication needs. 

Victor G. García Castañeda
Visiting Researcher

Transdisciplinary researcher interested in the philosophy and sociology of technology and digital culture. He holds a PhD in Philosophy from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, a Masters in Sociology from the Universidad Iberoamericana of Mexico City and holds a degree in Philosophy and Social Sciences from the ITESO (Guadalajara). He has been an affiliated member of the Research Network for Philosophy and Technology and is currently conducting research on the representation of utopian and dystopian imaginaries of technological change in the media.

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Aitor Jiménez
Visiting Researcher (2021)

Aitor Jiménez is a sociologist, lawyer and activist. He joined the ADM+S Centre in May 2021 as Postdoctoral research fellow in Data Civics, Rights and Ownership for Automated Decision-Making, at The University of Melbourne. Previously, Aitor had the opportunity to work as a policy and legal analyst for progressive causes in Latin America and Europe. He has also worked as a Human Rights lawyer defending cases of leftist activists and artists before the Spanish National Court. Aitor often writes in press and media and collaborates with a range of civil society organisations interested in the development of forward-thinking alternatives for our digital futures.

Pablo Iglesias Turrión
Postdoctoral Researcher (2021-august 2022)
PhD in Political Science (Complutense University), Master in Humanities (Carlos III University) and M.A. in Communication (European Graduate School). His research interests are the ideological analysis of social networks, communication strategies and the quality of democracy. 
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Rebeca Oliván
Research Assistant (2021)
Social psychologist at the University of Zaragoza. Master of Research in Behavior and Cognition at the University of Barcelona (UB). Her general areas of interest and professional experience are focused on research on human-robot interaction (HRI) and the application of therapeutic interventions with social robots, especially in elderly people.
David Leal
Research Assistant (2020-2021)

David is an economist, sociologist (PhD student), researcher, teacher, consultant and writer. His research explores the connections between dialogic leadership, citizen participation, networked governance and systemic innovation. At IN3-UOC he codevelops a framework for the evaluation and design of participatory processes with Decidim. As a consultant he has first hand experience in a wide variety of areas, with organizations such as Altekio, Platoniq, SenseTribe or Medialab Prado. Cofounder and president of the Coincidimos association, he is representative in Spain of the Innovation in Politics Institute.

Alistair Duff
visiting professor (2021)

Alistair Duff is a visiting professor (March - September 2021). During his stay, he worked on a project comparing Castells and Bell -see: Alistair S. Duff (2023) "Castells versus Bell: A comparison of two grand theorists of the information age", European Journal of Social Theory, Volume 26, Issue 1 2023, Pages 90-108-. He hopes a comparative approach will yield major dividends for our understanding of the global information society. He is an external examiner at Aberystwyth University (Wales) and emeritus professor of information policy at Edinburgh Napier University (Scotland), and was previously a visiting fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute. He holds degrees from the Universities of London, Glasgow and Strathclyde.

Roberta M. Răducu
Visiting Researcher (2020)

Roberta is PhD candidate in Communication at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA, Romania) and Erasmus+ visiting researcher between September and October 2020.

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Laura Roth
Researcher (2018)

Holds a PhD. in Political Philosophy by Universitat Pompeu Fabra, where she was also a researcher and professor until 2017. She currently coordinates the International Observatory for Participatory Democracy (IOPD). 

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Camila Renè Maggi
Research Assistant (2018)

Camila Renè Maggi is an architect and works in the development of projects and communities that join technologies, free culture and social innovation. Her work is related to digital culture, open source and practical experimentation methodologies own in digital fabrication laboratories.

Marcela Canavarro
Visiting Researcher (2016-2017)
PhD candidate in Digital Media with a specialization in Journalism (University of Porto), MA in Communication and Culture (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro), specialization in Project Planning for Digital and Interactive Media (Senac-Rio) and Diplomate in Journalism (UFRJ). Her research interests are critical Internet studies and digital methods applied to social research.
Master thesis
Marta Almela Salvador
Research Assistant (2017-2018)
PhD in Communication, Technologies and Society by La Sapienza Università di Roma (2016) with a dissertation on citizen participation, web 2.0 and participatory processes enabled by the administrations. BA in Economics and Business Administration (University of Barcelona, 1993) and MA-DAF in Marketing Management (Esade 1999).
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Pedro Jacobetty
Research Assistant (2017)
Pedro Jacobetty has a BA and MA in Sociology from the University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE-IUL) and a PhD in the Information and Knowledge Society at the Interdisciplinary Institute of Internet (IN3) of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC).
Lorena Osorio
Research Assistant (2017)
Lorena is BA in Sociology at ICESI University in 2013. She is currently enrolled in the MA in Management for Social Innovation at ICESI University. Her areas of interest are social research, sociology of health, and vulnerability in older people.
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Jéssica Zambrano
Alumni (2017)
Jéssica is currently enrolled in a MA in Statistics and Operational Research, with an emphasis on Business and Social Statistics at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). Her interests focus on the exploration, analysis and interpretation of data on issues related to economics, business and social studies.
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Javier Toret
Adjunct Researcher (2016)
BA in Psychology at the University of Málaga. His interests are at the intersection of philosophy, politics, psychology, and technology. He investigates the transformations of subjectivities and forms of communication, action and collective organization in the network society. He coordinated the collective research project titled: "Technopolitics: The power of connected multitudes. The network system #15m: A new paradigm, distributed politics".
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Adrien Semail
Alumni (2016)
Adrien Semail received his BA in Spanish and Commerce from the University of Edinburgh before beginning his MA in International Relations at the Institut de Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI). His main interest is in information and communication technologies (ICT) and democracy in developing countries.