Erni is a doctoral student in cultural anthropology. Her research focuses on everyday peacebuilding and shared orientations toward the future, with a particular emphasis on migration and self-settled marginal zones of Southern European cities.

Her interests include material and non-material systems of reciprocity, shadow economies, and individual and collective engagement with spatial and temporal mobility. She holds a master's degree in peace and conflict studies from the University of St. Andrews (2024) and a bachelor's degree in chemistry and philosophy from Bates College (2020).