Follow to keep up to date with Lujia's research and upcoming events, and for more spotlights on the rest of the CTRG team!
13.02.2026 11:17
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Follow to keep up to date with Lujia's research and upcoming events, and for more spotlights on the rest of the CTRG team!
The aim is to bridge the gap between research and practice by developing robust and relevant insights into youth radicalisation processes.
π The next stage of research will use a Delphi study to translate empirical evidence into expert-informed consensus. This will bring together academics and practitioners in counterterrorism, safeguarding, and violence prevention to examine and prioritise key mechanisms the review identified.
Rather than treating radicalisation as a linear or deterministic pathway, the review highlights how mechanisms interact over time to shape vulnerability and divergent outcomes.
π Her recent work is centred on a large-scale systematic review of pathways toward youth radicalisation through violent extremism. Using a thematic synthesis approach, the review integrates evidence from qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies across Western contexts.
π« Lujia's research focuses on how and why young people become vulnerable to violent extremism, with a focus on the processes and social contexts through which radicalisation develops.
π‘ CTRG researcher spotlight #2: Lujia Pei π‘
Lujia is a PhD student at UCL, who specialises in understanding youth radicalisation.
πΉ The CTRG team had their quarterly meetings with the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre and with Theseus Fixated Risk Management, where we discussed several upcoming and underway projects on fixated threats to public figures, corporate individuals, and others in the public eye.
πΉ We welcomed Leoni Heyn to the CTRG for the next few months as a visiting PhD student, where she will be continuing her work on online facilitators of offline violence
πΉ @caitlinclemmow.bsky.social also presented some work on lone actor terrorism to students from the Swedish Police Authority for Segerstedtinstitutet vid GΓΆteborgs universitet
CTRG have had a busy start to 2026:
πΉ @caitlinclemmow.bsky.social presented her work on grievance-fuelled violence to the UK's Counter Terrorism Clinical Consultancy Service for their annual away day
π βAmber will be presenting updated research on unmet mental health needs at the Association of European Threat Assessment Professionals conference in April 2026. Details of programme and registration here: www.aetap.eu/next-confere...
π In her postdoctoral work, Amber continues to focus on these themes, collaborates regularly with practitioners including Theseus Fixated Risk Management and the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre, supports many CTRG projects, and contributes to the research field through NABS+, IAPSS, and the CTRG.
π₯ βHow targeted violence threat assessment is practically implemented across different regions and settings, to aid development of future teams. Published in an NCITE report: www.unomaha.edu/ncite/_files... and presented at NCITEβs 2024 conference: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcC-...
π₯ βUnmet mental health needs, and their relevance to both violence prevention and safeguarding. Example study analysing Fixated Threat Assessment Centre data: doi.org/10.1080/1068...
π βIdentifying risk factors for specific terrorist roles and behaviours (e.g. radicalisation, fundraising, logistical support, attack-planning) to aid threat and risk assessment of operationally relevant outcomes. Example study analysing Prevent data: doi.org/10.1111/1556...
Amber is a Research Fellow at UCL. Her existing research focuses on three practitioner-oriented themes:
πΉ CTRG researcher spotlight series πΉ
In 2026 weβll be highlighting regular CTRG spotlights to showcase what our researchers are up to. Stay tuned for more throughout the year!
π‘CTRG researcher spotlight #1: @amberseaward.bsky.socialπ‘
In the new year we will be posting regular spotlights on individual CTRG members and their research. Watch this space!
Mary-Ann Cherry, Philip Doherty, Sara Rubini, Ance Martinsone, Lujia Pei, Emily Mayrand, Shu Jia Chee, Valia Panagiotaropoulou, Tom Thornton, & Ellie Wong.
Thank you to all CTRG researchers for their hard work this year: @paulgillucl.bsky.social, @noemiebouhana.bsky.social, @sandyschumann.bsky.social, @zoemarchment.bsky.social, @caitlinclemmow.bsky.social, @amberseaward.bsky.social
π Developed the IAPSS Community of Interest on Risk Assessment and Risk Management: join here crestresearch.ac.uk/iapss/coi/ri...
π Achieved key publication milestones, including the 1st most cited paper in the Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, and 2nd most cited in Terrorism and Political Violence, of those published between 2020-2024.
Weβve been developing our internal research community, including project and panel collaborations, welcoming new team members, and hosting several external guest speakers.
π£ Re-launched the CTRG with new social media profiles (LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ctrg...) and a website (counterterrorismresearchgroup.com).
π Delivered 42 workshops and presentations, in 17 countries, across 4 continents. Audiences included HMPPS, NABS+, AETAP, VOX-Pol, Council of Europe, and House of Commons.
πΉCTRG in 2025πΉ
2025 has been a productive year for the CTRG. We have:
π Published 22 journal articles, book chapters, and reports. Another 19 are accepted or undergoing peer review.
Caitlin Clemmow gave a seminar titled 'Public or private violence: unpacking the relationship between domestic abuse and violent extremism' at the University of St Andrews π΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώ
Ance Martinsone and Lujia Pei presented work from their PhD theses at AVERT 2025 in Melbourne, Australia to a diverse audience of academics and practitionersΒ π¦πΊ
@sandyschumann.bsky.social and @caitlinclemmow.bsky.social have been selected to lead a new project funded by NABS+, titled: Identifying Paths of Engagement with The Com: A Mixed Methods Study. See more details of their and other projects here: lnkd.in/e2qpMrWV