Elizabeth Pearson

Dr Elizabeth Pearson is a Lecturer in Criminology with the Conflict, Violence and Terrorism Research Centre at Royal Holloway, University of London and a member of the Editorial Board at ICCT. Her research interests are in gender, extremism and counter-extremism.

Elizabeth is working on a book on the Making of Extreme Men, based on ESRC-funded PhD research at King's College London. This focuses on masculinities in Islamist and radical right movements in the UK and is due for publication in 2023.

She is also a co-author of the book Countering Violent Extremism: Making Gender Matter. The book argues for a nuanced approach to gender in theorising extremism, and in practical measures to counter this. The book is the result of research with RUSI in 2015-6 in five countries - Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. 

Other publications have looked at Twitter Islamic State supporters; gender-based violence and the West African jihadist groups Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province; and gendered security harms produced through countering violent extremism initiatives.

Before academia, Elizabeth was a radio journalist at the BBC.