Theo is a researcher focussing on the Former Soviet Union (FSU) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions. His interests include the political economies of fragile and conflict-affected states, national and transnational identity politics and the role of online media in authoritarian settings.

Theo holds a BA in Russian and Arabic from the University of Cambridge and an MA in Political Science from the Central European University. He joins ODI after working for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), first in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan and subsequently at the organisation’s Secretariat in Vienna.

A fluent speaker of Russian and Arabic with advanced proficiency in French, in recent years Theo has lived and worked in Austria, Egypt, Russia and Turkmenistan.