Michaela Rana

Michaela Rana is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Security Studies at Macquarie University (Australia). Michaela’s research focusses on preventing and countering extremism online, with youth, extremist narratives and right-wing ideological beliefs. Michaela also holds research assistant and sessional academic support positions at Deakin University, Macquarie, and RMIT University.

Michaela, as a counter-terrorism program and policy practitioner, specializes in implementation and strategic decision-making within the security sector. Michaela supports evidence-based programs, strategies, and leads policy reform that promotes individual and community resilience with a focus on both hard and soft approaches to counter-terrorism. This aims to improve overall security and criminal justice outcomes for both individuals and communities.

With experience in law enforcement, intelligence, policy and conflict analysis, and the prevention and countering of violent extremism (P/CVE), Michaela specializes in the design and implementation of research-driven programs across fragile and/or post-conflict settings. Her work spans prevention efforts, rehabilitation and reintegration of former combatants and detainees, community-based interventions, at all levels from grassroots efforts to strategic support to governments and civil society actors in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific.

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