Dr Laura Serra

Academic researcher

CV

Dr Laura Serra

London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom

Research interests: British and comparative political behaviour; elections and democracy; political socialisation; age, gender, and generational divides; democratic institutions and participation.

Academic Appointments

Research Fellow
Electoral Psychology Observatory, London School of Economics and Political Science
October 2023 – September 2026

Postdoctoral researcher on externally funded projects examining electoral hostility, electoral ergonomics, and democratic participation. Work involves large-scale comparative datasets, survey and experimental methods, and collaboration with international research centres and electoral authorities.

Research Associate
Queen Mary, University of London
July 2023 – September 2023

Postdoctoral researcher on the ESRC-funded project PolHum: Understanding the Power of Political Humour, working with Prof. Maria Grasso and Prof. Charles Pattie on the effects of political humour on attitudes, emotions, and behaviour.

Lecturer (Assistant Professor)
Royal Holloway, University of London
September 2022 – August 2023

Designed and delivered undergraduate modules in political behaviour, politics and law, and quantitative research methods across the Departments of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy, and Law and Criminology. Responsibilities included module convening, assessment design, dissertation supervision (UG and PGT), supervision of teaching assistants, and teaching administration.

Education

PhD in Political Science
Royal Holloway, University of London
September 2018 – July 2023
Thesis: Age, Generation, and Voting Behaviour in the United Kingdom. Awarded the 2024 PSA McDougall Trust Prize for the best PhD dissertation in elections, electoral systems, and representation.
Supervisors: Prof. Chris Hanretty, Prof. Oliver Heath.
Examiners: Prof. Maria Grasso, Dr. Tom O’Grady.

MSc Social Research Methods (High Merit)
London School of Economics and Political Science
September 2017 – August 2018

BA International Relations (First Class Honours)
Royal Holloway, University of London
September 2014 – June 2017

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

  • Serra, L. (2025). The Impact of Party Appeals on Age Differences in Voting. Electoral Studies, 96, 102942.
  • Serra, L. & Grasso, M. (2025). Political Socialisation in the UK: Describing Generational Changes of Values. International Journal of Culture, Politics, and Society.
  • Serra, L. & Simon, E. Accepted (minor revisions). Maturation and the Right: A Comparative Study of Delayed Transitions to Adulthood and Conservatism. British Journal of Political Science.

Books and Edited Volumes

  • Serra, L. & Smets, K. (2022). Age and Generation. In M. Grasso & M. Giugni (eds.), Oxford Handbook of Political Participation. Oxford University Press.
  • Serra, L., Sloam, J., & Smets, K. (In press). Youth Political Participation in the UK. In F. Vassallo (ed.), Youth Political Activism in Democracies. Edward Elgar.
  • Serra, L. (Forthcoming). Age and generation as dividing lines in the capital. In E. Simon & P. Diamond (eds.), Governing the Capital.
  • Serra, L. & Grasso, M. (Forthcoming). Emerging Generational Identities. In L. Mason et al. (eds.), Future Identities: Changing Identities in the UK, 10 Years On.
  • Serra, L. & Grasso, M. (Forthcoming). Data challenges in political socialisation research. In L. Stoker et al. (eds.), Handbook of Political Socialisation. De Gruyter.

Manuscripts Under Review

  • Serra, L., Bruter, M., Harrison, S., & Obradovic, S. Making the First Vote Count: Testing Initiatives to Boost Youth Electoral Engagement. PNAS.
  • Serra, L., Bruter, M., Obradovic, S., & Harrison, S. Intergenerational Gender Differences in Electoral Psychology. Comparative Political Studies.
  • Obradovic, S., Serra, L., Bruter, M., & Harrison, S. First-Time Voting as a Rite of Passage. Political Psychology.
  • Sleiman, Y., Grasso, M., Pattie, C., Serra, L., & Hofer, C. Polarizing Punchlines. Political Science Research and Methods.

Funded Research Projects

  • The Age of Electoral Hostility (ERC-funded): Postdoctoral Researcher.
  • Understanding the Power of Political Humour (ESRC-funded): Postdoctoral Research Associate.
  • First and Foremost (ESRC-funded): Collaborator on field experiments on first-time voting.
  • Out of Touch and Out of Time (ESRC-funded): Research Assistant
  • Low-income Voters in UK General Election (JRF-funded): Research Assistant

Teaching Experience

Modules Convened and Taught

  • Political Behaviour
  • Politics of Law and Rights
  • Research Methods (Quantitative and Qualitative)

Teaching Interests: British Politics; Comparative Political Behaviour; Elections and Democracy; Political Institutions; Quantitative Methods.

Outreach: Academic Tutor, The Brilliant Club Scholars Programme (2019).

Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA). Experience supervising undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations, managing teaching assistants, and providing pastoral support. Strong commitment to inclusive pedagogy and widening participation.

Academic Service and Impact

  • Assistant Editor, Electoral Studies.
  • Co-organiser, PSA Elections, Public Opinion and Parties (EPOP) Conference (2018).
  • Co-organiser, Democracy and the Intergenerational Challenge workshop, United Nations Headquarters, New York (2024).
  • Panellist, LSE UK General Election Event (2024).
  • Contributor, LSE British Politics and Policy blog; extensive media engagement.

Conferences and Invited Presentations (Selected)

EPOP Annual Conference (2022–2025); PSA Annual International Conference (2023–2024); MPSA Annual Conference (2024); ECPR Joint Sessions (2023–2025); ISPP Annual Conference (2025).

Awards

  • PSA McDougall Trust Prize for Best PhD Dissertation (2024).
  • PSA ECN Award for Most Effective Use of Video (2022).

Skills and Languages

Methods: Survey analysis, experiments, regression modelling, comparative research.
Software: Stata, R, SPSS, Microsoft Office, WordPress.
Languages: Italian (native); English (fluent); German (B2); French (B2).