Elisa joined the Centre for Sustainable Urban and Regional Futures (SURF) as Research Assistant in the EPSRC funded ‘Urban Retrofit’ project. Her previous research project focused on the exploration of the intersection between volunteering and tourism in developing countries, specifically in Latin America. While researching, she also volunteered and coordinated groups of international volunteer tourists in several Peruvian social projects. Her main interests are in international development, sustainability, urban regeneration in both developed and developing contexts, community development and poverty reduction.