Olga Nikolaeva holds a Ph.D. in Art History and Visual Studies from Gothenburg University. Her research interests lie primarily in the field of performance studies, scenography, media art and installation art. In her Ph.D. dissertation, Olga examined audiovisuality and material interrelations in live music performances, with the specific focus on bodies, screens, screen visuals and sound.

Since September, 2020 she is working on her international postdoctoral research project at Musikverket and Aleksanteri Institute, the University of Helsinki. In this project Olga analyzes scenography of trauma in works of women practitioners in contemporary Russian theatre.