Her dissertation examines the impact of the Peruvian civil war in the city of Lima from 1988 to 1992, particularly how residents of the city's shantytowns played a critical role resisting the Shining Path’s influence and escalating violence, as well as defying the State’s institutional and military repression. Her work challenges commonly held perceptions of these shantytowns, exposing how life there revolved around attaining food security, human security, and collective efforts to attain basic human dignity. The funding from the IGCC fellowship will help Luna-Victoria conduct extensive oral history and archival research in Lima and its shantytowns.

Luna-Victoria is advised by Prof. Charles Walker.