Mariya Lorke gained a Bachelor of Arts degree in European Studies from the University of Magdeburg and a Master of Arts degree in Ethnology and Social Anthropology from the University of Münster. Her research interests are in the fields of intercultural communication, ethno-psychiatry and qualitative field research. During her studies she conducted fieldwork in a Roma community in Bulgaria focusing the coping strategies of Roma women in the context of being foreign.
Since completing her studies Mariya Lorke works as a certified Trainer and Coach for Intercultural Competences with different target groups – e.g. healthcare professionals. Since September 2017 she has been working at ceres as a research associate.