![](https://eitminstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/headshot_uci-Danielle-Thomsen.jpg)
I am an an assistant professor of political science at the University of California, Irvine. I was previously an assistant professor at Syracuse University. My research focuses on American politics, the U.S. Congress, and gender and politics. I published a book in 2017 titled, Opting Out of Congress: Partisan Polarization and the Decline of Moderate Candidates (Cambridge University Press).