Sandra graduated in sociology at the University of Barcelona. She came to Oxford to embark on the MSc in Sociology, which she received with distinction from Lady Margaret Hall (2003-2004), and moved on to Nuffield College to complete her DPhil in Sociology (2004-2007). Her thesis, titled 'Mapping Civil Society on the Web: Networks, Alliances, and Informational Landscapes', analysed what makes some web sites more salient than others, and how that asymmetrical visibility affects the diffusion of and access to politically relevant information.

Sandra is broadly interested in how new communication technologies shape the flow of information and how online networks influence individuals' exposure to ideas and debates. Her work at the OII centres around two issues: the distribution of visibility on the web and the evolution of online discussion networks.

In particular, she is interested in the following questions: What role do gatekeepers like search engines play in building online visibility? What is the relationship between old and new media? To what extent do online networks span alternative sources of information? Do different web technologies induce the creation of different types of networks? And what are the consequences for the flow of politically relevant information?