Emilia Ziosi is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Sociology, University of Oxford, working on the CRIMGOV Project (ERC Advanced Grant), and an Associate Member at Nuffield College.
She conducts research on illicit markets and organised crime, with a focus on the trade of illicit goods, including narcotics, and extra-legal governance. Her work combines theoretical perspectives from sociology, political science, and economics with empirical research, including ethnographic fieldwork with hard-to-reach populations across Latin America and the systematic collection and analysis of primary sources such as judicial documents.
Her work has appeared in journals such as Criminology and Criminal Justice and the Journal of Illicit Economies and Development and has been featured in outlets including France24 and InSight Crime. Emilia has previously collaborated with institutions such as the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). She regularly engages with journalists, policymakers, and practitioners across Europe and Latin America through expert consultations and presentations.
Emilia completed her Ph.D. at the Department of International Political Studies, University of Milan in 2023, where she researched gangs and drug trafficking group’s relations with the state and civilian communities in contemporary Honduras. In 2021–2022, she was a Visiting PhD Student at the Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS), University of London. She also holds degrees in Economics (BSc, University of Trento) and Criminology and Security Studies (MSc, University of Essex).
