Andrea Kulhanek has been employed as a higher education researcher at the IHS since 2012. In January 2025, she joined the research group Educational Structures and Educational Opportunities at IHS. She obtained a Master's degree in Sociology from the University of Vienna in 2012, having specialized in social structure research and social inequality. During her studies, she engaged in research as a Student Assistant and freelancer at the IHS.

Her research interests include educational choices and paths of students, the social situation of students, and social inequality in higher education. Her expertise lies in conducting and analyzing qualitative methodologies, with a particular emphasis on the biographical research approach (e.g. biographical and narrative interviews with young people and students).