Hello! I am a political communication researcher focused on understanding how human and algorithmic information curation shape our shared political realities.

Currently, I am a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Amsterdam and part of the Public Values in the Algorithmic Society consortium. I hold a PhD in communication science from the Institute of Communication and Media Studies at the University of Bern, in Switzerland. Originally from the Dominican Republic, I did my BA in International Relations at the ITESM in Mexico, and obtained my MSc in Political Science at the University of Amsterdam.

Research

My research focuses on political information flows in a digital age and its effects on political attitudes. In these projects, I make use of computational methodologies to explore web behaviour, use of algorithmic intermediaries to news (such as social media and search engines), and to conduct large-scale automated content analyses through text-as-data approaches.

I classify my research into three main branches:

• 1. Aggregate information flows: Here I focus on aggregate-level sharing of news on social media. I research what influences the difusion of political news across social network sites, addresing the role played by emotions, as well as the impact elections have on changing patterns of news engagement.
• 2. Individual access to political information: Using a combination of survey and digital trace data, I aim to understand how people use algorithmic intermediaries to access political information. This work speaks to the areas of algorithmic curation, media exposure measurement, and accurate classification of political and hyperpartisan content.
• 3. Effects of political news consumption: Here I research how consumption of political news impacts individuals’ trust in politics, and likelihood to participate in political processes.

Download my resumé.