I work as a science expert at the Institute for Educational Research and have a PhD in theoretical physics. I am particularly interested in comparative international studies on the evaluation of learning outcomes and the use of their results in a wide range of educational development. I am also a senior researcher at CIFRA (Centre International de Formation et de Recherche Avancées en Physique), coordinated by UNESCO, where I conduct research in the basic sciences, focusing on the role of theoretical nuclear physics in the study of fundamental processes and beyond standard model phenomena.
The focus of my research is twofold: First, I am interested in educational research, assessment, and development focusing on large-scale international assessment studies such as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
The focal point in these studies is assessing and analyzing educational outcomes worldwide, as well as, by participating country. In addition, various individual and societal factors related to educational outcomes are being studied. Central research questions arise from problems related to educational equity, as well as, from the way the social, economic, structural, and operational changes in society are reflected in the educational system and in relevant education policies. Besides to international assessments, these research questions are also relevant in national studies.
Second, my research in the field of fundamental sciences addresses the role of nuclear and atomic physics in the study of fundamental processes and beyond the standard model phenomena, namely the detection of neutrinoless double beta decay, neutrino properties, and the detection of dark matter, and their detailed theoretical description.
Theoretical predictions in these areas guide experimental research, contributing to the emergence of many practical applications in areas such as human health and safety, sustainable economic growth, and space exploration.
