Meet The Team
Principal Investigator
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Doctoral Researchers
David Hollenstein
Having a background in both political science as well as business and economics, he holds a master’s degree from ETH Zurich and two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Innsbruck. He has gained experience in multiple research projects at these institutions and has previously worked for the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and public news- and radio networks.
David’s research interests focus primarily on the sources and effects of microeconomic behaviour. In previous research during his master’s, he researched questions like how incumbent heads of state or government react to changes in their public approval or how repeatedly exposed individuals slowly grow accustomed to the emotional consequences of political violence. On a methodological level, David places a heavy focus on quantitative and data-driven research. Key areas of expertise are causal inference, quantitative text analysis as well as (quasi-) experimental research designs.
Ella Stanisch
She brings professional experience at the intersection of business, politics, and international affairs. Most recently, she worked in Group Sustainability at Swiss Re, contributing to the development and implementation of the company’s sustainability strategy. Previously, she worked on economic and financial affairs at the Embassy of Switzerland in Washington, D.C., and at the British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce. Her experience is complemented by research work on political risk and international business.
Ella holds dual Master’s degrees in International Affairs from the University of St. Gallen and in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the University of St. Gallen.