Isabell Burmester is Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Department of Political Science (PETGOV research programme). Before joining the University of Amsterdam, Isabell was a postdoctoral researcher at Stockholm University (Sweden) and Sorbonne Nouvelle University (France). She holds a doctorate in political science from the University of Geneva (Switzerland) and has held visiting positions at Maastricht University (Netherlands), MGIMO-University (Russia), and Tartu University (Estonia). Isabell has an M.A. in European Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Europe (Natolin campus) and a B.A. in International Relations and International Organization from the University of Groningen (Netherlands).

Her work is situated at the intersection of international relations and area studies with a focus on mechanisms of hegemony and dynamics of norm contestation in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Her current research explores the conditions under which International Governmental Organizations (IGOs) apply sanctions or other punitive measures in response to Russian norm violations.