Irina Banoiu has been a Junior Researcher in the Junior Research Group Digitalization and Social Transformation at IHS since January 2025. Irina holds a Master’s degree in Media Innovation from the Breda University of Applied Sciences, a Master’s degree in the Philosophy of Contemporary Challenges from Tilburg University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Moral and Political Philosophy from the University of Bucharest.

Her research interests include but are not limited to digital media, primarily social media platforms and video games, social inequality and the experiences of minority groups, especially the LGBTQIA+ community, and the formation of identity and community in the virtual space. For her Master’s thesis, Irina investigated the effects of gendered preferences for design-oriented video game mechanics and dynamics on immersion and identification, with a focus on female and non-binary gamers.