Welcome! I am a PhD Candidate in Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh.

My research examines the institutional and structural conditions that shape voter coordination in the aftermath of economic shocks. In my dissertation, I explore when voter support disperses or converges toward opposition alternatives across different electoral systems, focusing on the local political consequences of commodity price fluctuations and abrupt shifts in energy policy. I employ a range of causal inference strategies to identify both the effects of these shocks and the mechanisms through which they operate.

More broadly, I study the conditions under which voters hold governments accountable and where they direct their support once they withdraw it, both at the aggregate and individual levels. My work has been published in Electoral Studies.

I hold a BA in Social Sciences from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil (2022) and an MA in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh (2024).

Please feel free to contact me at laura.chelidonopoulos@pitt.edu. Thank you for visiting!