Laura Hammond

Laura Hammond is Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Knowledge Exchange and Professor of Development Studies at SOAS University of London. With extensive field experience in the Horn of Africa since 1993, she leads major research initiatives examining migration, displacement, and food security. Her work connects academic research with humanitarian policy through roles with UN agencies and NGOs.

Education includes:

• BA from Sarah Lawrence College
• MA from University of Wisconsin
• PhD from University of Wisconsin

Her research focuses on conflict-induced displacement, refugee repatriation, and diasporic communities. She examines how food insecurity and migration intersect with systems of marginalization, with geographic emphasis on Ethiopia and Somalia/Somaliland. Current projects investigate how digitalization affects food assistance systems across Global North-South divides.

Publications demonstrate consistent focus on migration governance, humanitarian response, and development inequalities. Recent works explore pandemic impacts on remittance systems and displacement solutions. Over 70% of articles address crisis contexts, with emerging work on sustainable development frameworks.

As Team Leader for the EU Trust Fund's Research and Evidence Facility and Co-Director of the MIDEQ Hub, she oversees multinational research partnerships examining migration pathways. She has consulted for UNDP, USAID, Oxfam, and the World Food Programme.

Current PhD students investigate borderland communities, gender in humanitarian action, and refugee protection systems. She leads the Migration Leadership Team developing global migration research strategies.