Daniela Vicherat Mattar

Daniela Vicherat Mattar is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Leiden University College (LUC), part of Leiden University's Governance and Global Affairs faculty. Her work focuses on borders, citizenship, public space, and care, with a regional emphasis on Europe and Latin America. She teaches courses in Gender Studies and Global Challenges, and leads the Culture, History, and Society major at LUC. Her research explores how urban forms and aesthetics—such as walls, graffiti, and food markets—reflect and challenge societal belonging and inequality.

Recent projects include a GTGC-funded study on food markets during the pandemic and an investigation into textile waste governance. She holds a PhD from the European University Institute and contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives like the Leiden Latin American and Caribbean Centre. Her writing bridges sociological theory with empirical studies of urban conflict and solidarity movements.

Key research areas include: citizenship (material and symbolic borders), post-pandemic urban resilience, interdisciplinarity in education, and the role of art in public discourse. She advocates for sociological approaches that transcend disciplinary boundaries to address global challenges.