Emma Connolly is a Fellow with the Digital Speech Lab, leading its new initiative in digital civic education. Her academic work focuses on the viral movement patterns of narratives on social media platforms. She is particularly interested in developing innovative methodologies for exploring viral spread, and has experience in working with X, Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit. She has published with The Conversation UK and the International Journal of Social Media and Online Communities. She is currently studying on the cross-platform viral spread of memes about Kamala Harris during the 2024 US presidential election. She is completing her PhD in Politics and International Studies at the Open University.

Prior to this role, Emma worked as a research assistant at Nottingham Trent University, and works in a consultant capacity on the undergraduate International Relations module at the Open University. She holds an MA in International Security from the University of Leicester and professional qualifications in Leadership, and Data Science.