I am a sociologist and interdisciplinary qualitative researcher specialising in cultural and urban sociology, with a focus on cultural and creative industries, authenticity, heritage, urban culture and tourism. My research explores how cultural meanings, social practices and urban spaces are produced, negotiated and contested, and how these processes are shaped by wider social, political, institutional and technological contexts. My primary research expertise lies in qualitative and participatory methods, including urban ethnography, interviews, archival research, visual and textual discourse analysis. I also have experience with spatial methods (GIS), conversation analysis and interdisciplinary research.

I completed my PhD in Sociology at the University of Edinburgh in 2025. My doctoral thesis The construction of Authentic Edinburgh: a cultural perspective, explored how authenticity is constructed, negotiated and contested in the context of tourism and urban development. Using Edinburgh as a case study, I examined how policies, organisations, communities and individuals shape competing understandings of place and cultural identity amid processes of urban transformation, including gentrification, touristification and overtourism.

I am currently a Postdoctoral Researcher on the EU Horizon European Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries Policy Platform (ekip) project at the Institute for Design Informatics, Edinburgh College of Art. My work focuses on cultural and creative industries policy, particularly digital commons and AI in the cultural heritage sector. Working with European partners across academia, industry and the third sector, I contribute to research, participatory workshops, EU-level policy engagement and knowledge exchange.

I have professional experience working at the intersection of research, cultural policy and practice. Previously, I was a Research Associate at the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO) in Croatia, contributing to European, national and local projects on cultural policy, cultural heritage, tourism, participatory planning and heritage management. I have experience collaborating with academic, community, cultural and policy stakeholders, facilitating workshops and translating research into policy outputs.

I also have teaching experience at the University of Edinburgh, where I tutored across the School of Social and Political Science and the School of GeoSciences, contributing to methodology courses in sociology and human geography.

I am always open to new collaborations. If interested, please feel free to reach out. I would be happy to talk.