Team
Beatriz Rodríguez-Labajos
Principal Investigator
Beatriz Rodríguez -Labajos (PhD in Environmental Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) is a distinguished researcher at UPF's Department of Political and Social Sciences. Originally from Barcelona, she has lived for extended periods of time in Latin America and the US.
Her research work focuses on how socioenvironmental transformations advance while remaining inclusive. For years, this puzzle has motivated her work, collaborating with underrepresented people who resist unequal ecological distribution effectively in marginalized areas of Latin America, South East Asia, Europe and the US. Her work is rooted in critical social sciences, placing ecological economics and political ecology at the forefront in tackling the challenge of global environmental injustice. Currently she is focused on bridging the gap between social environmental sciences and information and communication technologies, when it comes to explaining the deployment of technological innovations vis-à-vis situated perspectives on environmental change.
Claire Karaguesian
Research assistant
Claire Karaguesian is a Canadian Master's graduate in Sociology and Demography at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. She is part of the Johns Hopkins University - Universitat Pompeu Fabra Public Policy Center. She holds a BSc in kinesiology with a specialization in mental health, addiction, and society from McMaster University in Canada.
Claire received the McMaster Kinesiology Research Award for her research analyzing oral contraceptive's influence on fasting glucose and lipid levels. Some of her other research work includes contributions on metabolism, nutrition and physiology. She presented her various works at the Ontario Exercise Physiology Conferences. Claire also contributed to community-based research at McMaster University's Research Shop, helping organizations analyze accessibility gaps and barriers faced by marginalized residents in accessing social services to improve their service.
Constanza Monterrubio Solís
Postdoctoral researcher
Originally from Mexico, Constanza is a postdoctoral researcher at the JHU-UPF Public Policy Center. She holds a PhD in Biodiversity Management, a Masters in Conservation Biology from the University of Kent (UK), and a Bachelors in Biology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
Her work is rooted in the intersection of biodiversity conservation and community-based natural resource management. Her doctoral research focused on the interplay between Indigenous governance systems and external environmental regulations in Oaxaca, Southern Mexico. Constanza’s expertise extends to Chile, where she was a postdoctoral researcher at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Campus Villarrica, within the CIIR-CEDEL. Her research there explored the role of family-owned indigenous and campesino homegardens in preserving agrobiodiversity, biocultural memory and food practices, and their contribution to resilience in local food systems amid global pressures. Throughout her career, Constanza has worked closely with indigenous and rural communities focusing on biocultural heritage conservation and community-led initiatives. Her research delves into agrobiodiversity, social-ecological resilience, and the continuity of biocultural memory in the face of environmental and social challenges.
Carolina Gallardo
Project Manager
She is responsible for the administrative grant management, including budget planning, financial reporting and compliance with ERC regulations. She supports the Principal Investigator in steering the project by coordinating research activities, monitoring risks and resources. Her role includes preparing technical and economic reports, facilitating internal and external communication, oversees the effective delivery of scientific outcomes, and adherence to ethical and quality requirements. Carol acts as the central liaison between University departments and services ensuring smooth collaboration through proactive management, she helps to create an enabling environment for high-impact research and successful project execution.
Ayoub Ait Baali
Intern
Ayoub Ait Baali is a Moroccan Master’s student in the Governance, Politics, and Public Policies track at Pompeu Fabra University, where he also earned his Bachelor’s degree in Global Studies. His research and interests lie at the intersection of governance, technology, development, and security, with a focus on data-driven analysis.
Mia Lanča
Collaborator
Mia Lanča is a master's student at the University of Pompeu Fabra, whose interests lie at the intersection of the just green and digital transition. She is particularly interested in the emancipatory and sustainability potentials of open, bottom-up digital technologies. Her current research focuses on the development of grassroots digital sovereignty initiatives in Barcelona.
Clara Vázquez Pulido
Communication Manager
Clara Vázquez holds a degree in Journalism from Blanquerna – Ramon Llull University – and a postgraduate degree in Design from IDEP Barcelona. A native of Barcelona, she brings over a decade of experience in communication, design, dissemination and advocacy across higher education, the third sector and media. Prior to joining UPF, she served as Head of Communication at CCAR (Comissió Catalana d'Acció pel Refugi), where she led the institutional communication and the advocacy campaigns on human rights. She also worked at the International Department of the Universitat de Barcelona and as a journalist for organisations such as the European Commission or Diversa Audiovisual.