Leonardo 
Carella

I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Government (Institut für Staatswissenschaft) of the University of Vienna. I was previously employed at Nuffield College, Oxford, where I remain an associate member (officially from 1 October 2025).

My research interests centre on elections and representation. In particular, most of my work is on electoral systems: why these institutions matter for politics (and when they don't), as well as how and why they were adopted. I am also developing a parallel research agenda on how the politics of immigration affect the formation of political identities and partisanship in Europe.
 

I completed my DPhil at Mansfield College, Oxford; previously, I graduated with first class honours from St. Antony's College, Oxford (MPhil) and the University of Manchester (Bachelor). My work has appeared in publications like the British Journal of Political Science, Legislative Studies Quarterly and Electoral Studies. You can find here a copy of my CV.

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In my research, I employ mostly quantitative methods, with a particular interest in regression discontinuity designs and statistical techniques for social measurement. I am also currently engaged in mixed-methods collaborations.