Leona is the student assistant of the AI, Media and Democracy Lab and, next to managerial tasks, she fulfils editorial responsibilities and manages the Lab’s public output. Her academic background is in Media Studies and Communication Science, with a Bachelor’s thesis focused on analyzing online manifestations of political astroturfing during the 2024 presidential election in Romania, her home country.
Alongside work at the Lab, she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Political Communication and Journalism at the University of Amsterdam, with plans of further building a career in the journalism industry.
