Lara is a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), where her research seeks to understand the efficacy of various communication methods and strategies for gaining traction for the mitigation and prevention of global catastrophic risks (GCRs). As part of the ‘A Science of Global Risk’ project, Lara seeks to provide empirical evidence to understand what communication methods, tools and messaging work to increase awareness of GCRs with policy makers, civil society, industry and publics. This research to date has adopted the use of role-playing games for increasing awareness for the importance of AI safety and ethics, and scenario-based exercises for exploring possible futures in biosecurity.
Lara’s background is in volcanic risk communication and establishing evidence-based practice for the education and communication of volcanic hazards, particularly within the Caribbean region. Her PhD explored the use of video games for volcanic hazard education and outreach programmes and most recently she has been working with partners in the Caribbean to evaluate the efficacy of the crisis communications campaigns during the 2020-2021 eruption of La Soufriere, St Vincent.
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Impact of the Tambora volcanic eruption of 1815 on islands and relevance to future sunlight-blocking catastrophes
Paper by Nick Wilson, Veronika Valler, Mike Cassidy, Matt Boyd, Lara Mani, Stefan Brönnimann
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Six novel interdisciplinary resilience principles emerging from interdisciplinary exchange around post-COVID-19 centres and peripheries
Peer-reviewed paper by Meredith Root-Bernstein, François Chiron, Jianguo Liu, Lara Mani, Harini Nagendra, Catharine Ward Thompson
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When It Strikes, Are We Ready? Lessons Identified at the 7th Planetary Defense Conference in Preparing for a Near-Earth Object Impact Scenario
Peer-reviewed paper by Shirish Ravan, Tom De Groeve, Lara Mani, Einar Bjorgo, Richard Moissl, Jose Miguel Roncero, Katherine Rowan, David Schuld, Leviticus A. Lewis, Romana Kofler