Elizabeth Pearson

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

Elizabeth is the lead author on the REASSURE Report. The REASSURE team additionally comprises Joe Whittaker of CYTREC and Swansea University, Till Baaken from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, independent researchers Farangiz Atamuradova and Sara Zeiger, and Maura Conway of VOX-Pol and Dublin City University. The REASSURE project also acknowledges the contribution of Modus|Zad.

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.