Izabela Derda, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in Media & Creative Industries at the Media & Communication Department.

She has a strong background in media practice, holding an M.A. in Film and TV Producing from Polish National Filmschool in Lodz and a certificate in Business and Management of Entertainment from UCLA, Los Angeles.

Izabela's research focuses on innovation in creative industries, specifically on how emerging technologies shape co-creative practices and their dynamics. Exploring media as a practice, she investigates not only changes in media production and audience engagement but also studies them as a network that integrates humans and technologies.

She co-leads the ERMeCHS research cluster, Value in Creative Economy (ViCE), and is a member of SSH-Breed Sectorplan themes on the Digitalization and platformization of work processes and products and Digitalisation, new ways of working, and the new employee.

Izabela is also a multi-award-winning media producer, advertising expert, and speaker. She has participated in numerous panels and served as a jury member at major advertising festivals worldwide, including Cannes Lions, Cristal Festival, Eurobest, and Clios Awards, among others.
Additionally, she serves on the advisory board of the SXSW Pitch start-up competition.