I am a cognitive linguist, discourse analyst, and political scientist. Currently, I use both quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate language use in discourses about transnational crises. I completed my MA (Distinction) in Political History and International Relations and my PhD (cum laude) in Linguistics and Communications at the University of Sorbonne Nouvelle, University of Bath, and VU Amsterdam. My research interests lie in interdisciplinary studies at the intersection of linguistics, political science, AI, and communication studies. 

Current Project 1: Towards Computational Modelling of Dynamic Metaphors in Discourse 

I am co-supervising Master's theses at the University of Amsterdam and at VU Amsterdam about this project. In collaboration with colleagues from LANCAR (Language and Cognition in Argumentation), CCALL (Corpus-based and Computational Approaches to Language and Literature), and ILLC (Institute for Logic, Language and Computation), we aim to develop large language models to computationally detect dynamic metaphors in discourse and the arguments they generate (as a potential further objective). The manual coding of dynamic metaphors is based on my dynamic model, YinYang Dynamics of Metaphoricity, which I developed during my PhD.

Current Project 2: Profit above Us: The Sustainability Implications of Commercial Space Activities 

This project investigates how major corporate players in the commercial space industry communicate about sustainability and the actions they take. Using computational text analysis and discourse analysis, it examines the discourse, power structures, and ideological narratives shaping the 'New Space' economy. Additionally, the research identifies environmental risks and regulatory gaps, providing insights to help policymakers develop fair and sustainable space policies at both the EU and national levels. By integrating political science, regulatory studies, and computational linguistics, this project moves beyond traditional scientific approaches, offering a comprehensive analysis of the sustainability implications of space commercialization.

Upcoming Project: Metaphor Use in Governmental Discourses on Ukrainian Refugees: A Transdisciplinary Perspective

PhD Project: Metaphor Use in Discourses about the Trade War

Static and dynamic metaphoricity in U.S.-China trade discourse, a transcidiplinary perspective

2024 Erasmus Research Prize 

September 2018 - October 2023

Promoter: Prof. dr. Alan Cienki

Co-promoter: Dr. Tina Krennmay

Abstract:  This project examines the understudied U.S.-China trade discourses, focusing on trade relationships during the Clinton-Jiang era (1993–1997) and the Trump-Xi era (2017–2021). Using a large governmental corpus of approximately six million words, it presents the first transdisciplinary analysis of metaphoricity change in U.S.-China trade discourse from both static and dynamic perspectives. The static view systematically identifies cross-linguistic metaphors, tracing changes in source domains and verbal metaphors across time, languages, and political genres. The dynamic view, based on the YinYang Dynamics of Metaphoricity model, explores the nature, features, forms, patterns, and functions of metaphoricity activation in governmental texts. Beyond cognitive and corpus linguistics, this research integrates Critical Discourse Analysis, international relations, and political history. By investigating the political implications of metaphoricity change from a multidisciplinary perspective, it provides deeper insights into U.S.-China trade interactions.