Associate Researchers

Muslihah Albakri
Muslihah specialises in the management and analysis of survey and administrative data, particularly relating to young people and education. An ESRC accredited researcher, her research interests include child development, young people’s mental health and access to higher education.

Ludovica Siniscalchi Bernabó
Ludovica is an Associate Researcher at the Bridge Group, supporting qualitative work. A strong believer in education as an instrument of social change, Ludovica has a demonstrated history of working in the education sector and on the frontline of educational disadvantage. Passionate about advancing and supporting widening participation, social mobility and equal access in higher education; Ludovica recently completed an M.Sc. in Education, Power and Social Change.

Rute Fiadeiro
Rute is a design researcher who brings expertise in collecting and analysing qualitative data, data mapping, graphic communication, and product development. Currently completing her PhD at the School of Design, Royal College of Art, she explores the shift in design practice when developing interventions to tackle intimate partner violence. Rute is interested in employing systems thinking approaches within design practice and research to address structural injustice.

Annika Hagel
Annika is a qualitative researcher and research manager with extensive experience in designing and conducting qualitative studies, including facilitating interviews, focus groups, and co-production with community members. With expertise in applying behavioural insights, she has contributed to research projects spanning student experience, education policy, public health, and housing. Holding an MSc in Gender, Policy, and Inequalities from the London School of Economics, Annika is passionate about amplifying the voices of those affected by structural inequalities to drive meaningful change in policy and practice.

Dr Jack Layton
Jack is a qualitative researcher with extensive experience interviewing and running focus groups with young people and professionals. In his three and a half years as a full time researcher with the Bridge Group, he was involved with projects across the breadth of our work. Jack has a PhD in Geography and is interested in the ways that social research can contribute to policy making, both in the workplace and beyond.

Patricia Ncube
Patricia is passionate about advancing social justice and supporting marginalised communities. In her time as a Qualitative Researcher with the Bridge Group, Patricia contributed to our work with the third sector and legal sector. Her work spans various socio-economic issues, with experience working with refugees, survivors of domestic abuse, and young people affected by teenage pregnancy. Patricia’s ESRC-funded PhD research at the University of Portsmouth explores the experiences of African migrant women in the UK, focusing on how intersecting factors like gender, race, and migration status shape their lives, particularly in relation to their employment. Her work is rooted in an intersectional approach, aiming to reveal and address the structural barriers that disadvantaged communities face.

Dr Mikka Pers
Mikka is an interdisciplinary scholar in the fields of psychology and language-focused social media research. As an Associate Researcher at the Bridge Group, Mikka draws on her expertise in the collection and analysis of qualitative data and her psychological insights into the experiences of people who face structural disadvantages.

Mikka's PhD from King's College London examined the impact of new media upon storytelling practices and their social and psychological implications.

Jennifer Thorpe
In her time as Research Officer at the Bridge Group, Jennifer assisted in the collection and analysis of data pertaining to higher education and career development. As an Associate Researcher, Jennifer utilises her degrees in geography and global public health to advocate for social mobility and economic empowerment, particularly for people with disabilities. Jennifer has engaged in extensive research to promote equitable and inclusive educational opportunities while working for several inter-governmental organisations, charities, and higher education institutions.