Human Trafficking Research Network Team

Dr Gillian Kane

Lecturer in Law, Ulster University

Dr Gillian Kane is a Lecturer at Ulster University School of Law and co-chair of the Human Trafficking Research Network. Gillian’s research expertise lies in international migration law. Gillian’s work focuses on the intersections between various international legal frameworks governing migration. Gillian is currently researching the role of international law in addressing human trafficking in the context of forced migration, including climate-related displacement.

Dr Maja Grundler

Lecturer in Law, Royal Holloway, University of London

Maja is a Lecturer in Law at Northumbria University. She is a co-founder and current co-chair of the HTRN. Maja holds a PhD in Law from Queen Mary, University of London. Her research focuses on the intersection of refugee law and irregular migration, human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

Dr Adedayo Akingbade

Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University

Adedayo is a Lecturer at Manchester Law School, Manchester Metropolitan University. Previously, he had worked as a Teaching Assistant in Law and a Research Assistant in Human Rights at Queen’s University Belfast. Adedayo’s research interests are in human Trafficking, irregular migration and border racialisation.

Dr Siliva Rodríguez López

Lecturer, University of A Coruña

Silvia Rodríguez-López is a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer in Criminal Law at the University of A Coruna (Spain). Her main research interests include human trafficking-related corruption, labour exploitation, exploitation of criminal activities and the non-punishment clause, as well as corporate criminal liability and gender issues related to human trafficking.

Dr Amy Weatherburn

Postdoctoral Researcher, Université libre de Bruxelles

Amy is a FWO Senior Postdoctoral Fellow at the KU Leuven Institute for European Law. Her main research areas are human trafficking, (labour) migration and fundamental rights. Her postdoctoral research focuses on tackling labour exploitation beyond criminal law and providing access to remedy to migrant workers who have experienced violations of social and labour rights in the workplace.

Dr Maria Turda

University of Central Lancashire

Dr Maria Turda is a Research Associate at the Connect Centre for International Research on Interpersonal Violence and Harm, University of Central Lancashire. Her main research interests include human trafficking, exploitation of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, interpersonal violence, international social work and social work practice with minorities.

Muiread Murphy

PhD Researcher, Maynooth University

Lisa Monastyrova

PhD Researcher, Open University

Yelyzaveta Monastyrova is a PhD candidate (2022-2025) at the Law School of the Open University in Milton Keynes, the UK. Yelyzaveta’s thesis examines the prioritisation of domestic human trafficking on international anti-trafficking agendas and compares state approaches to domestic trafficking in Spain, Ukraine and the UK.

Dr Prince Agwu

PhD Researcher, University of Nigeria

Prince Agwu holds a PhD in Social Policy with affiliations at the University of Dundee, Scotland and Health Policy Research Group, University of Nigeria. He is among the editors for Health Research Policy & Systems (HRPS); Health Economics, Policy & Law (HEPL), and Social Work and Social Sciences Review (SWSSR).

Between 2022 and 2024, Prince was among the Principal Investigators for the Human Trafficking Prevalence/Dynamics and Evidence Laboratory Project in Nigeria with funding from the United States Department of State Programme to End Modern Slavery (USDS-PEMS). And in 2023, he was appointed to serve on the board of advisors for the Human Trafficking Embedded Evidence Lab, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking Persons, Nigeria (NAPTIP).

Lately, he is working on projects covering health systems and survivors of human trafficking, and corruption and anti-human trafficking.

Fatima Ali

Asylos

Neiha Lasharie

Lawyer based in USA

Dr Cherisse Francis

Senior Lecturer, St. Mary's University

Dr. Cherisse Francis is an educator, legal professional and researcher from the Caribbean. Presently, Cherisse is a Senior Lecturer at St. Mary's University and Associate Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies. She researches the intersections between trafficking, legislation, culture and history. Cherisse is co-lead for the Caribbean Coalition Against Trafficking in Persons research committee.