Biography

I hold a Ph.D. in Sociology from Complutense University of Madrid (2011). I am also a member of the Center for Advanced Studies in Social Sciences at the Juan March Institute.
Prior to joining the European University Institute as a Max Weber Fellow, I worked as a pre-doctoral researcher at the Center for Human and Social Sciences at the Spanish National Research Council (2008-2011). Previously, I finished my studies in sociology, at the University of Salamanca, and population, at FLACSO Mexico.
My dissertation, titled Social Interactions and Sexual Behavior. Explaining HIV Preventive Practices in Southeastern Africa, was supervised by Richard Breen (Yale University) and Teresa Castro (CSIC). The main goal of my thesis was to examine the mechanisms through which social norms affect married individuals’ preventive behaviour against HIV/AIDS in the region most devastated by the epidemic. I analyzed survey data from a quantitative approach, using suitable statistical techniques such as panel analysis with fixed effects and latent class analysis.
My primary research interests lie in the fields of demography of health, social norms, and research methods. I am particularly interested in examining the interaction between the social environment and the adoption of preventive/risk behaviours.
As a lecturer, I am currently teaching courses in the sociology of education and family studies at Complutense University of Madrid.