Early Career Researcher Network: meet the team

Peris is responsible for the delivery and management of the ECR Network.

Before joining the British Academy, she worked in the global health sector, administering and managing grants between international health partnerships in a charity.

Peris has an LLM in Human Rights Law from Birkbeck, University of London and a BA (Hons) in Sociology and Politics from Goldsmiths, University of London.

Charlotte oversees the membership of the Network in her role as the Membership Manager by managing membership recruitment, analysing engagement levels and monitoring membership demographics. Charlotte also manages the online community platform, keeping members informed and up to date with the latest Network activities.

Charlotte has previously worked as a Research Assistant and has a BA (Hons) in Media and Communications from the University of West London.

Paula provides support in the day-to-day operations of the Network and leads on the London, South East and East of England Clusters. Paula acts as the primary point of contact for these Clusters, providing lead support and managing relationships with delivery partner institutions for these regions. Paula also manages the network funding schemes in these regions, including the Seed Fund and Development Fund.

Before joining the Academy, Paula completed her studies at the University of Edinburgh, where she obtained an MA (Hons) in French and History. Paula has experience volunteering and working for charities, and has received an Edinburgh Award for her independent digital volunteering research project with Wikipedia.

Gabriela Vargas Parada is the regional coordinator for the South West and South Wales; Midlands and Mid Wales; and the North West and North Wales; supporting the day-to-day operations for the Network.

Gabi holds a BA in Political Science from Universidad de los Andes (First Class Honours) and completed an MSc in Social Policy and Social Research at University College London (Distinction). Before relocating to the UK, Gabriela developed a professional profile at the intersection of gender, health, and social justice. She has experience coordinating research and programmes across multi-institutional initiatives in Colombia and internationally, including work in contexts affected by armed conflict and transitions towards peace.

Before joining the British Academy, she worked as the Regional Coordinator for the Gender, Justice and Security Hub, supporting programme delivery, partnerships, and collaborative research.

Anastasia supports the day-to-day operation of the Network with a particular focus on the Scotland, Yorkshire and the Humber and North East and Northern Ireland Clusters.

Before relocating to the UK, Anastasia cultivated a diverse professional background, having lived and worked in various countries across the globe. She holds an MA in Art History from Aarhus University, Denmark, and SOAS, University of London, and is currently completing her PhD in Art History at Aarhus University.

Janina Pescinski leads on the Elevate Programme, which provides leadership training and funding opportunities for ECRs in the SHAPE disciplines.

Prior to joining the British Academy, Janina conducted research on migration, borders, citizenship and solidarity activism. She was a postdoctoral researcher at Durham University on the ESRC funded project 'Contesting Migration: Pro- and Anti-Migrant Mobilisations in Mediterranean Reception Sites'. Janina completed her PhD at Queen Mary University of London, funded by the Leverhulme Trust. She holds an MA in International Affairs, specialising in human rights, from Sciences Po Paris.

Janina has also worked with several international organisations on human rights issues, including Amnesty International and the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research.

Maria Baidoukov works on the Elevate Programme, supporting the day-to-day operations for the programme. This includes running and attending events, liaising with training providers and responding to membership queries.

Javeria supports the team as the ECRN Membership and Training Assistant, handling membership queries, overseeing network-wide communications, welcoming new members and monitoring membership statistics. Javeria also provides administrative and logistical support for the online community platform, events and the Elevate and Advancement programmes.

Javeria previously worked as a Membership Assistant at the Royal Academy of Dance and holds a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science from the University of Westminster.

Petra oversees regional activity across the Network and supports its wider development as ECRN Regional Manager. She works across programme delivery, evaluation, and process improvement, with a particular focus on creating strong and inclusive support for early career researchers.

Before joining the British Academy, Petra worked across research, higher education, and the non-profit sector, including roles at the Centre for Economic Policy Research, Brunel University of London, and London Business School. She holds a PhD in Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Management from Brunel University of London, and her research focuses on organisations, leadership, and people at work, particularly in relation to civil society, research culture, and inclusive practice.

If you would like to get in touch, please contact the team on [email protected].