I hold a Phd in Interpreting Studies from the University of Surrey where I am currently collaborating as a researcher on various projects on remote interpreting and as a lecturer in Interpreting Studies. As a researcher, I am interested in various aspects of remote interpreting, particularly the impact of emotional intelligence on interpreters’ performance and its implication for end-users.
I also hold a Masters in Translation Studies, a second Masters in Conference Interpreting from London Metropolitan University and a DPSI option Law. I have been working as Public Service Interpreter (legal settings) since 2010 and on the private market as a Conference Interpreter (Romanian A, English B and French C) since 2013.
I am also a Chartered Linguist for Romanian and I joined the management committee of CIOL's Interpreting Division in the summer of 2014. I am currently the Chair of the Steering Group of the CIOL interpreting Division that is actively engaging with interpreters (members and non-members) through events offering networking and professional development opportunities.
Areas of specialism
Remote interpreting in legal settings; The impact of emotional intelligence on interpreters' approach to video remote interpreting
University roles and responsibilities
Visiting Lecturer in Legal Interpreting for the MA in Interpreting, University of Surrey.
Research Fellow at at the Centre for Translation Studies (CTS), University of Surrey.
My current research, funded by a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship, aims to explore the potential of a new generation of technologies—namely AI-powered language technologies—to provide language support in legal proceedings for court users whose first language is not that of the country where the proceedings take place, such as migrants and refugees. Given the demand for interpreters and the challenging nature of interpreting, together with the high accuracy requirements of legal interpreting, this research raises timely questions about the efficacy of AI-powered language technologies both in supporting interpreters and in operating autonomously through machine translation. At the same time, I address the ethical considerations of drawing on such technologies, with a view to preventing digital exclusion of court users and ensuring fairness of justice. As a practical output, I aim to produce practice-based recommendations for the responsible use of AI-powered language technologies in legal communication settings.
My earlier work has focused on the integration of technology into interpreting, combining empirical research with professional practice as a court and conference interpreter. During my PhD, I analysed interpreters’ perceptions of video-mediated interpreting (VMI) in legal contexts using a mixed-methods approach based on 40 observations, 60 interviews, and self-report questionnaires. I later contributed to the development of VMI guidelines and standards to improve access to interpreters for refugees and asylum seekers. More recently, I have worked on projects examining the use of automated speech recognition (ASR) in legal interpreting through simulated court hearings, assessing interpreter performance and exploring professional attitudes towards these tools.
EmpASR project: Empowering public service interpreters through the integration of AI and ASR to enhance preparation and interpreting workflows
The EmpASR project explored the role of automatic speech recognition (ASR) technologies in the professional work of interpreters through a dedicated continuing professional development (CPD) course and an accompanying international survey. The course introduced interpreters to emerging ASR tools and prompted critical reflection on their potential benefits, limitations, and ethical implications in real-world interpreting settings. The follow-up survey gathered quantitative and qualitative data from practising interpreters and industry representatives to capture their experiences, levels of trust, and attitudes towards the adoption of AI-driven speech technologies. The combined findings offer insights into how interpreters engage with technological change and contribute to evidence-based recommendations for training and professional standards.
Presented findings from the EmpASR project at the Chartered Institute of Linguists Conference Season 2025, together with Sabine Braun and Constantin Orăsan from the Centre for Translation Studies, University of Surrey. The presentation highlighted key insights into the use of AI and speech recognition technologies in interpreting, with contributions from Maria Andreea Deleanu and Shiyi Tan.
Teaching
I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching, University of Surrey, UK.
Visiting Lecturer - 'Public Service Interpreting. Trends and Issues'. Sessions on Legal interpreting. University of Surrey, (2020, 2021, 2023).
Lecturer in Conference Interpreting - Theory Module , London Metropolitan University as part of the Masters in Conference Interpreting Programme (2017-2018)
Main supervisor for 6 MA in Conference Interpreting dissertations (2017, 2018, 2020).
Interpreter Trainer, Diploma in Public Service Interpreting qualification (DPSI), (2010-2020)
The rapid growth of video-mediated interpreting (VMI) during the Covid-19 pandemic has shifted the focus of research from investigating the feasibility of VMI to developing a better understanding of the factors that can contribute to sustaining it. Within legal settings, a range of challenges has been identified, some of them specific to the actual configuration of VMI that is used (especially the distribution of participants). In this study we examine one particular configuration in which a defendant takes part in the proceedings via video link from prison whilst all other participants including the interpreter are physically present in the courtroom. Drawing on observation and interview data, with a focus on extradition court hearings, we examine the complexities of VMI in this configuration, its main challenges, and the associated strategies employed by the interpreters to cope with the demands of VMI.
The baseline study was conducted in two stages. First a comprehensive review of existing academic and practice-based literature, guidelines and codes of ethics was carried out for each of the three workstreams (PSI, VMI, LLDI). The findings are reported in Part I, II and III of this report. Relevant information about the methodological approach for the reviews is provided in each part. Subsequently, three detailed case studies were conducted with three NGOs (in three different countries), each of which having direct experience of language service provision and use in the asylum/refugee context, in order to elicit information about the practical implementation of interpreting services in this context. The findings from the case studies are reported in Part IV of this report and are complemented by a forthcoming European Migration Network report (EMN), detailing the findings of an ad-hoc query on interpreter use in reception contexts, which provides an overview of interpreting practices in 23 member states (Appendix – Compilation Report: Ad-hoc Query on 2022.63 Interpreting in Reception Facilities). The findings included in the present report will inform the development of a harmonised EUmodel for video-mediated PSI. It will also provide the basis for the development of training content that will support the implementation of the standards in the EU-WEBPSI model.
In response to the increasing use of video links in UK courts, this research study examines the challenges court interpreters face when working in court-prison video links at a busy court complex in London, the interpreters' perspectives on these challenges, and the coping strategies they use to overcome them. This is a multi-method study that combined qualitative methods, which consisted of observing and interviewing interpreters and quantitative methods, namely the TEIQue self-report inventory used to assess interpreters’ levels of emotional intelligence. Drawing on the psychological concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI), we investigate the influence of court interpreters' EI levels on their views regarding video-mediated interpreting (VMI) and their unique coping strategies in VMI. Our research reaffirms some of the difficulties with VMI that have been established in previous research, and it shows that interpreters in our study adapt their strategies in response to these problematic aspects and that under pressure, they sometimes reluctantly compromise to satisfy competing needs of the remote defendant and the court. A further finding that is consistent with previous research is that interpreters' perspectives on VMI varied. To gain a deeper understanding of these variations, we examined potential relationships between the attitudes towards VMI held by the interpreters in our study and their respective EI profiles. By conducting a cross-analysis of the qualitative data (interviews and observations) and the quantitative data (EI scores), we were able to identify links between interpreters' EI profiles and how they view and respond to VMI challenges. These findings can inform the implementation of video courts in which interpreters are needed, as well as help enhance existing VMI training as part of court interpreters’ professional development. They can also be fed into best-practice guidelines for VMI so that VMI can be used more effectively enabling a better experience for all parties involved.
