Susan Banducci

Professor Susan Banducci holds the 125th Anniversary Chair in the Department of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Birmingham. Her research focuses on comparative political behavior, political communication, and the interplay between technology and democratic processes. She leads the ERC Advanced Grant-funded TWICEASGOOD project, examining sexism faced by women candidates in election campaigns.

• Education: PhD (Political Science, UC Santa Barbara, 1995), MA (UCSB, 1989), BSc (Santa Clara University, 1988)
• Previous roles: Professor of Politics at University of Exeter (2006–2024), Founding Director of Exeter Q-Step Centre

Her research explores how technology shapes democratic institutions, including the impact of digital tools on election campaigns, misinformation ecology, and public trust. She collaborates with data scientists, sociologists, and bio-scientists on topics like phage therapy and democratic innovations. Susan has secured over €10 million in research funding, leading multidisciplinary projects on behalf of UKRI/ESRC and the European Commission.

• Scientific Contributions: Over 5 major grants as PI, ERC Advanced Grant (2022–2027)
• Publications: Key works on digital trace data, gendered technological impacts, and news ecosystems

Her work bridges computational methods with ethnographic insights, emphasizing how institutional dynamics and technology jointly influence democratic outcomes. Current projects include analyzing public attitudes toward phage therapy and exploring the gendered experiences of candidates in digital election environments.