Lara is an Assistant Research Professor at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge. Her research expertise covers global catastrophic risk, systemic risk from volcanic eruptions and risk communication for high-impact risks. 

Lara’s research focuses on the global catastrophic risks posed by volcanic eruptions, particularly the systemic risks they present to interconnected global systems. Her work integrates systemic risk assessment with futures and foresight approaches to explore how volcanic hazards can propagate through global complex systems and generate cascading global impacts. 

She gained her PhD in volcanic risk communication at the University of Plymouth in 2018. She is the working group lead for the Systemic Risk, Existential Risk and Polycrisis working group of Risk KAN, a member of the Accelerator for Systemic Risk Assessment network, and a member of the Global Risk Communication Network Steering Committee.