Karina Alexanyan’s research focuses on the Russian language social media landscape. She is a researcher and analyst with Berkman's Internet and Democracy Russia Project, as well as a Managing Analyst at Morningside Analytics. She is also a PhD Candidate in Communications at Columbia University, with a focus on the RuNet.

Recent publications include a chapter on Russian Blogging in “International Blogging – Identity, Politics and Networked Publics”, and articles on Social Networking on RuNet in the journal Digital Icons, and in the Russian Analytical Digest

In 2008, with the support of Harvard’s Berkman Center and Columbia’s Harriman Institute, Karina organized the "RussiaOnline" Conference at Columbia University, bringing together scholars and practitioners from Russia, the U.S. and Europe.

Alexanyan received her M.Phil from Columbia University, has a M.A. in communication from NYU and a B.A. in linguistics and modern languages (French and Russian) from the Claremont Colleges. She is the recipient of the John N. Hazard(2009) and Pepsico (2006) fellowships from the Harriman Institute at Columbia.