Donya Alinejad researches the role of digital media in society and culture. With a background in social and cultural anthropology and a focus on social media platforms, Donya has conducted ethnographic field research and used mixed methods to study digital media in multiple countries. Her work has focused on social media's influence on people's experiences of spatial mobility, community formation, emotional care, and scientific knowledge communication. She is interested in theories of mediation, especially in relation to power and how it operates in the relationship between technologies and their users.

Donya is currently Assistant Professor of Digital Media and Society at the Media and Culture Studies Department. She is investigating how social media platforms shape public communication about scientific expertise around politically contested issues such as climate change and Covid-19. For more information, see personal website.