I am an interdisciplinary computational social scientist. For more than 15 years, I have combined quantitative, computational and qualitative approaches to study complex social questions and their implications for people, institutions and policy.
My work often focuses on populations, inequalities and experiences that conventional data and methods do not capture well. This has made intersectionality, representation and research ethics central to how I work. I also work closely with policymakers, public institutions, civil society, industry and interdisciplinary teams, connecting social-science research with policy and practice. A growing part of this work examines how data and AI are reshaping (public) decision-making, what it means to govern with AI, and how this can be done ethically, accountably and with attention to its social consequences.
I am also a proud migrant: from İzmir and Ankara to Halle, Leuven, Istanbul, Utrecht and Cambridge. Home again in Belgium: living in Leuven and working in Brussels.
I have always loved small cities and I am fascinated by people's stories, so I listen and observe. I believe everybody should have equal opportunities and access to their rights, and I try to fight inequality wherever I can.
Besides my roles at VUB, I am the Responsible AI Governor for Belgium at the Global Council for Responsible AI (GCRAI) and affiliated with the Education and Society Research Unit at KU Leuven.
I am a mother of two boys who brag about their mom being a scientist. My biggest challenge is raising them as fair and caring people.