AVERT Members

AVERT members come from a wide variety of backgrounds, disciplines and institutions. They are committed to globally informed evidence-based research and methodological rigour. To learn more about our members and their research see our members bio profiles below.

Convenor and Coordinators

  • picture of Lydia Khalil

    Lydia Khalil

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY
    LOWY INSTITUTE

    Senior Research Fellow, Deakin University, Project Director, Lowy Institute and AVERT Research Network Convenor

    Research Area Keywords: Violent extremism; Political violence, Online; CVE; Radicalisation; Authoritarianism; Counterterrorism; Policy; Jihadism; Right wing Anti-government; conspiracy and disinformation; Democratic resilience.

  • Nell Bennett

    MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY
    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Coordinator, AVERT Research Network

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism, political violence, insurgency, regional security, conflict resolution.

  • Haily Tran

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    HDR Coordinator, AVERT Research Network

    Research Area Keywords: Countering/preventing violent extremism, hate prevention, radicalisation, far right extremism.

AVERT Executive Committee Members

  • picture of Michele Grossman

    Michele Grossman AM

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Professor and Research Chair in Diversity and Community Resilience, and Co-Convenor, AVERT Research Network

    Research Area Keywords: Resilience to violent extremism; Preventing and countering violent extremism; Women and terrorism; Terrorist recruitment; Cultural semiotics of terrorism.

  • picture of Lydia Khalil

    Lydia Khalil

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY
    LOWY INSTITUTE

    Senior Research Fellow, and Co-Convenor, AVERT Research Network

    Research Area Keywords: Violent extremism; Political violence, Online; CVE; Radicalisation; Authoritarianism; Counterterrorism; Policy; Jihadism; Right wing Anti-government; conspiracy and disinformation; Democratic resilience.

  • picture of Greg Barton

    Greg Barton

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Professor of Global Islamic Politics

    Research Area Keywords: Radicalisation, recruitment and disengagement; Countering violent extremism; Salafi jihadi terrorism; Indonesia; Southeast Asia; Islamic thought; Islam and civil society; Democracy and reform in the Muslim world.

  • picture of Adrian Cherney

    Adrian Cherney

    UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

    Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Countering violent extremism; Radicalisation; Deradicalisation; Disengagement; Evaluation; Terrorism; Criminology.

  • Emily Corner

    AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

    Associate Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism; Radicalisation; Mental Health; Risk Assessment; Grievance.

  • Jared Dmello

    UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

    Senior Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism; Radicalisation; Climate Change; LGBTQ+.

  • Mark Duckworth

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Senior Research Fellow

    Research Area Keywords: Community resilience; Preventing violent extremism; Disaster risk reduction; Intergovernmental relations; Public sector governance; Counter-terrorism policy; Emergency management; Multicultural affairs.

  • Vivian Gerrand

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow

    Research Area Keywords: Alternative narratives; Image-making; Militant wellness; Polarisation; Radicalisation; Recruitment; Resilience.

  • Imogen Richards

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Social media; News media; Political violence; Political economy; Counterterrorism.

  • Matteo Vergani

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Associate Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Hate crime; Hate speech; Extremism; Political violence; Terrorism; P/CVE; Evaluation.

  • Helen Young

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Senior Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Far-right extremist culture and fiction; white supremacy and racism; video games; medievalism; popular culture; conspiracy theories.

AVERT Steering Committee Members

  • picture of Michele Grossman

    Michele Grossman AM

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Professor and Research Chair in Diversity and Community Resilience, and Co-Convenor, AVERT Research Network

    Research Area Keywords: Resilience to violent extremism; Preventing and countering violent extremism; Women and terrorism; Terrorist recruitment; Cultural semiotics of terrorism.

  • picture of Lydia Khalil

    Lydia Khalil

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY
    LOWY INSTITUTE

    Senior Research Fellow and Co-Convenor, AVERT Research Network

    Research Area Keywords: Violent extremism; Political violence, Online; CVE; Radicalisation; Authoritarianism; Counterterrorism; Policy; Jihadism; Right wing Anti-government; conspiracy and disinformation; Democratic resilience.

  • Julian Droogan

    MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY

    Associate Professor in Terrorism Studies

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism; Violent extremism; Countering violent extremism; Jihadism; Internet; Social media; Right-wing extremism; Left-wing extremism; Religion; South Asia.

  • Kristina Murphy

    GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

    Professor of Criminology

    Research Area Keywords: Policing and Procedural Justice; Counter-terrorism; Conspiracy Theories; Anti-government Sentiment; Extremism.

  • Mario Peucker

    VICTORIA UNIVERSITY

    Associate Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Dissent; Right-wing extremism; Citizenship; Mobilisation; Radicalism.

  • Joshua Roose

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Associate Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Masculinities; Political Violence; Religious Violence; Extremism; Populism; Far-Right; Salafi Jihadism; Male Supremacism; Incels; Mens Rights Activism; Protest; Policy.

  • Paul Thomas

    UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD, UK

    Professor of Youth and Policy

    Research Area Keywords: Preventing Violent Extremism; Youth Racial Tensions; Education; Anti-racism; Enactment of Policy.

  • Gabriel O. Adebayo

    UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI

    PhD Candidate

    Research Area Keywords: Human Security; Religion; Religious Education; Education for Citizenship; Extremism; Terrorism; Radicalization; Counter-radicalization; Surveillance & Policing.

  • Zahid Ahmed

    NATIONAL DEFENCE COLLEGE, ABU DHABI

    Associate Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism; Radicalization; Religious extremism; Preventing violent extremism through education.

  • Shahram Akbarzadeh

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Political Islam; International relations; Middle East politics

  • Zainab Al-Attar

    UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE

    Senior Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism; Extremism; Autism; Mental Health; Neurodiversity.

  • Saira Ali

    UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

    Senior Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism; Extremism, Securitization; News & social media; Journalistic practice; Strategic communication.

  • Clare Allely

    UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD, ENGLAND

    Reader (Associate Professor) in Forensic Psychology

    Research Area Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Lone-actor terrorism; Radicalisation; Mass shooters; Criminal justice system.

  • Mary Beth Altier

    NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

    Clinical Associate Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism; Disengagement; Re-engagement; Recidivism; Reintegration; Political behaviour; Political violence; Nationalism; Ethnic conflict; Rebel governance.

  • Sam Andrews

    UNIVERSITY OF WEST LONDON

    Lecturer in Criminology

    Research Area Keywords: Prevention, Gender, Video Games, Internet, Policy.

  • Vanessa Barolsky

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Associate Research Fellow

    Research Area Keywords:
    Social conflict; Social cohesion; Truth processes; Transitional justice.

  • Emma Belton

    GRIFFITH INSTITUTE OF CRIMINOLOGY

    Research Fellow

    Research Area Keywords: Violent extremism; risk factors; radicalisation; extremist profiles; PIRA.

  • Kurt Braddock

    AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

    Assistant Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Radicalisation; Terrorism; Extremism; Propaganda; Counter-radicalisation.

  • David Bright

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism; Organised crime; Illicit networks; Social network analysis.

  • Joel Busher

    COVENTRY UNIVERSITY

    Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Social movements; Mobilization; Political violence; Anti-minority activism; Far right; Counter-terrorism; Violence prevention.

  • Kristy Campion

    CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY

    Lecturer of Terrorism Studies

    Research Area Keywords: Right wing extremism; Terrorism; Australia; Ideology; Identity; Left wing extremism; Salafi Jihadism.

  • Susan Carland

    MONASH UNIVERSITY

    Academic

    Research Area Keywords: Islam; Muslims; Islamophobia; Social cohesion; Muslim women; Sexism; Lived religion.

  • Caitlin Clemmow

    UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

    Manager of the Jill Dando Institute Research Lab

    Research Area Keywords: Grievance-fuelled violence; Risk and protective factors; Risk assessment and management.

  • Gordon Clubb

    UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

    Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Deradicalisation; CVE; Formers; Reintegration.

  • Joana Cook

    LEIDEN UNIVERSITY, ICCT

    Assistant Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Women; Children; Gender; Terrorism; Counterterrorism; Violent extremism; Foreign fighters.

  • Mark Davis

    UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

    Professor of Publishing and Communications

    Research Area Keywords: Online extremism; Hate speech; Culture wars.

  • Julia Ebner

    UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (MAGDALEN COLLEGE)

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism, Radicalisation, Far-right extremism, Psychological predictors, Identity fusion, Violence risk assessment

  • Amparo Pamela Fabe

    PHILIPPINE PUBLIC SAFETY COLLEGE NATIONAL POLICE COLLEGE

    Professor of Financial Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime

    Research Area Keywords: Women involved in terrorism PCVE.

  • Mariam Farida

    MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY

    Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Extremism; Terrorism; Middle East politics; Islamic radicalism.

  • James Fitzgerald

    James Fitzgerald

    DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

    Associate Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Counterterrorism; Violent Extremism; Conspiracy theories; Critical Terrorism Studies; Content Takedowns.

  • Jason Freeland

    VICTORIA POLICE

    Psychologist

    Research Area Keywords: Risk and threat assesssment; Intelligence led policing; VE and GFV typologies.

  • Gerard Gill

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Researcher

    Far-right, conspiracism, social media, social movements, terrorism .

  • Paul Gill

    UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

    Professor of Security and Crime Science

    Research Area Keywords: Risk assessment and management; Radicalisation; Threat assessment; Lone-actor terrorism

  • Maya Argüello Gomez

    SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY

    PhD Candidate

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism; Violent extremism; Radicalisation; International Law; Human Rights; Artificial Intelligence, Criminal Justice.

  • Cieran Harries

    SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

    PhD Candidate

    Research Area Keywords: Forensic mental health; Criminal offending; Offender risk assessment and management; Human rights-based law.

  • Mubashar Hasan

    WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY

    Adjunct Research Fellow

    Research Area Keywords: Religion; Identity; Violence; CVE; South Asia; Bangladesh.

  • Max Harwood

    NSW PREMIER’S DEPARTMENT/
    MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY

    Senior Associate / Adjunct Fellow & Sessional Lecturer

    Research Key Areas: Australian white nationalism and ideology, white nationalist phenomenology and digital subculture, Great Replacement theory violent extremism, ideological mass shooters.

  • John Horgan

    GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY

    Distinguished University Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism, violent extremism, political violence, forensic psychology.

  • Christine Horn

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Associate Research Fellow

    Research Area Keywords: Trust; Community resilience; Digital inclusion.

  • Jade Hutchinson

    MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY / GRONINGEN UNIVERSITY

    Cotutelle PhD Candidate

    Research Area Keywords: Right-wing violent extremism; Online extremism; Socio-techincal systems; 'Online extremist ecosystems'.

  • Julie Chernov Hwang

    GOUCHER COLLEGE

    Associate Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorist behavior; Disengagement; Reintegration and rehabilitation; Deradicalization; Radicalization.

  • Muhammad Iqbal

    VICTORIA UNIVERSITY

    Research Fellow

    Research Area Keywords: Violent extremism; Counter terrorism; Radicalisation; Psychology; Behavioural science.

  • Sissel Haugdal Jore

    UNIVERSITY OF STAVANGER

    Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism, Counterterrorism, Risk management, Security, Hybrid threats.

  • Isaac Kfir

    INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMICS AND PEACE

    Research Fellow

    Research Area Keywords: Counter-terrorism; Radicalization/deradicalization; Far-right extremism; Salafi-jihadism; Violent extremist groups in the Sahel.

  • Daniel Koehler

    COMPETENCE CENTRE AGAINST EXTREMISM IN BADEN-WUERTTEMBERG

    Researcher

    Reseach Area Keywords: Far-right terrorism; Radicalization; Deradicalization; P/CVE; Jihadism.

  • Shiri Krebs

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Associate Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Predictive technologies; Preventive detentions; Human rights; Fact finding; Cognitive biases; Organisational biases.

  • Anna Kruglova

    UNVERSITY OF SALFORD

    Lecturer

    Research Area Keyords: Recruitment; Propaganda; Narratives; Marketing; Disinformation.

  • Suraj Lakhani

    UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX

    Senior Lecturer

    Researh Area Keywrds: Video-gaming and violent extremism; Terrorism; Radicalisation; PVE; Counter-terrorism policy.

  • Sylvia Laksmi

    AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism financing; Counter-terrorism; Preventing/Countering violent extremism; Women in terrorism and terrorist financing.

  • Lasse Lindekilde

    AARHUS UNIVERSITY

    Professor

    Research Area Key Words: Violent extremism; Lone-actor terrorism; Online hostility; Radicalisation; Prevention.

  • Sarah Logan

    AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

    Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Countering violent extremism, Counternarratives, Technology.

  • Winnifred Louis

    UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

    Professor in Psychology

    Research Area Keywords: Identity; Decision-making; Social influence; Group norms; (De)radicalisation.

  • Stuart Macdonald

    SWANSEA UNIVERSITY

    Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Counterterrorism, Criminal law, Regulation, Human rights, Terrorism online

  • Rita Jabri Markwell

    AMAN FOUNDATION; BIRCHGROVE LEGAL

    Legal and policy advisor; Solicitor

    Research Area Keywords: Motive; terrorism law; dehumanisation; borderline content; disinformation

  • Sarah Marsden

    UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS, UK

    Senior Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Radicalisation; Deradicalisation; Countering violent extremism; Social movements; Protest.

  • Melanie Mitchell

    QUEENSLAND CORRECTIVE SERVICES

    Specialist Psychologist - Countering Violent Extremism

    Research Area Keywords: Threat, Violent extremism, Violence, Mental illness, Conspiracy.

  • Felix Pal

    UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

    Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Far-right civil society; Far-right organisational networks; Religious extremism.

  • Alexandra Phelan

    MONASH UNIVERSITY

    Lecturer in Politics and International Relations

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism; Insurgency; Gender; Women; Political violence; Guerrilla warfare; Organised crime.

  • Elaine Pressman

    UNIVERSITY OF MALTA

    Affiliate Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Risk Assessment of Violent Extremism and Terrorism; Fairness in risk assessment of violent extremism; Screening Analysis of Radicalization and Extremism.

  • Kumar Ramakrishna

    NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, SINGAPORE

    Professor

    Research Area Keywords: History of Strategic Thought, Propaganda Theory, Counter-insurgency Theory, History of the Malayan Emergency (1948-60), Terrorist Motivations and Ideology, Counter-terrorism Strategy

  • Stephane Shepherd

    SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY

    Associate Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Youth Justice; Pathways into offending; Interventions and Programming; Culturally and Linguistically Diverse young people; Cross-cultural Mental Health.

  • DB Subedi

    UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

    Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Peace and security; Violence prevention; Countering violent extremism; Conflict transformation; Peacebuilding; Social cohesion; Populism and nationalism, Religion and politics.

  • Eszter Szenes

    UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

    Lecturer

    Research Area Key Words: Radicalization; (Violent) Extremism; White supremacist environmentalism; Ecofascism; Information disorder; P/CVE; Critical digital and media literacies.

  • Emma Thomas

    FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

    Professor of Psychology

    Research Area Keywords: Radicalization; online interactions; political violence; collective hate; social identity; norms; beliefs; emotions (outrage, anger, contempt).

  • Paul Thomas

    UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD

    Professor of Youth and Policy

    Research Area Keywords: Preventing Violent Extremism; Youth racial tensions; Education; Anti-racism; Enactment of policy.

  • Sara Thompson

    TORONTO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY

    Professor of Criminology

  • Megan Upton

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Education; Participatory theatre; Critical feeling.

  • Lise Waldek

    MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY

    Senior Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Violent Extremism; Digital Environment; Radicalisation processes; Online research; Terrorism; Identity.

  • Chad Whelan

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Professor of Criminology

    Research Area Keywords: Cyber crime; Cyber security; Network analysis; Networks; Organised crime; Policing; Security; Terrorism.

  • Michael Wolfowicz

    HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM

    Senior Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism; Radicalization; Risk factors; Media effects; Meta-analysis.

  • Andrew Zammit

    VICTORIA UNIVERSITY

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow

    Research Area Keywords: Violent extremism in Australia; Human rights; National security laws; Indonesian politics.

  • Shannon Zimmerman

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Misogyny, gender-based extremism, Incel, Involuntary Celibate, manosphere.