Karen Da Costa, PhD

Research Associate in International Law,  Faculty of Laws, University College London

Karen holds a PhD (2011) in International Studies from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, University of Geneva. She also holds the European Master (2003) in International Humanitarian Assistance, Network on Humanitarian Assistance (NOHA) from the Ruhr-­University of Bochumand, and an LLM (2002) in German Law from the Ludwig-­‐Maximilans University (Munich).

Her research interests relate to international human rights law, including the impact of natural disasters on the enjoyment of human rights. Her previous work experience includes positions as University Fellow (Teaching & Research) in Human Rights at the Irish Centre for Human Rights – National University of Ireland, Galway; Legal Consultant for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; and Human Rights Officer at the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire.

Her book ‘The Extraterritorial Application of Selected Human Rights Treaties’ was published in 2013 by Brill/Martinus Nijhoff Publishers in the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies Series. Karen joined UCL Laws in September 2014, to work full‐time as a research associate on the ‘Human Rights Beyond Borders’ project, on the extraterritorial application of human rights law.  The project is funded by the European Research Council, and led by Karen’s colleague, Dr Ralph Wilde.