UCDP Team

Senior Analyst

Amber Deniz works on data collection and analysis of armed conflicts in Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Myanmar. Amber is also in charge of the data collection on the Bosnian War.

Senior Analyst

Garoun Engström leads the UCDP’s Latin America project. Her main focus is data collection and analysis of organized violence in Mexico and Brazil, particularly non-state armed groups such as drug cartels and gangs.

Senior Analyst

As part of the Latin America project, Tania Estrada collects and analyzes data on organized violence in Central America and the Caribbean, with a focus on El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Haiti. She also works on data collection on the U.S. and Canada.

Junior Analyst

Francisca Garcés is responsible for data collection and analysis of conflict data on Colombia and Venezuela, and is part of the Latin America project.

Senior Analyst

Nanar Hawach is an area specialist for the Middle East and North Africa. His work centers on armed conflicts, organized violence and non-state actors in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Israel-Palestine. He has contributed to multiple projects within the UCDP, and written publications on the MENA region.

Junior Analyst

Agnes Holm has a regional focus on West Africa. Her main focus is data collection and analysis of organized violence in Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad.

Research Coordinator & Project Leader

Stina Högbladh is responsible for the UCDP databases and for the data on peace agreements. She is an area specialist for DR Congo. Stina has published articles in the Journal of Peace Research, Research & Politics and Politics, Pathways to Peace and Security.

Research Coordinator and Project Leader

Therese Pettersson is responsible for the UCDP’s outreach activities, including lectures and presentations, social media, and data presentations. She is an area specialist for Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Syria. Therese has also published articles on conflict data in International Interactions and the Journal of Peace Research.

Deputy Director of UCDP

Margareta is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research. She has published various articles in academic journals including Journal of Peace Research, Conflict Management and Peace Science, and Conflict, Security & Development.

Research Coordinator & Project Leader

Lotta Themnér is in charge of planning and personnel issues at the UCDP, previously responsible for data presentation. She is an area specialist for Burkina Faso, Mali and Ethiopia. Lotta has contributed to SIPRI Yearbook and published articles in Journal of Peace Research.

Research Engineer & Senior Analyst

Mert Can Yilmaz’ primary responsibilities encompass managing data, conducting analyses, and creating visual representations. He collaborates closely with AI researchers and computational linguists. Mert also collects data on organized violence in the Central African Republic, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia.

Director of UCDP

Alongside his role as the UCDP director, Magnus is an Associate Professor at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research. He conducts research on the moral psychology of grievances, social conflict, and the impact of violence on forced migration. His research has been published in various academic journals, including the European Journal of International Relations, Journal of Peace Research, and Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.