Alex is the Director of Research at the Lowy Institute. As Research Director she manages the Institute's research output, including the commissioning and editorial processes. Until 2018, she was responsible for the Lowy Institute's program on public opinion and foreign policy, including the annual Lowy Institute Poll. 

Alex's other research interests include Australia's diplomacy and diplomatic infrastructure, consular affairs, and public diplomacy. As well as five annual Lowy Institute Polls, Alex has authored or co-authored several major studies for the Lowy Institute on Australia’s diplomacy. She has written for international press including Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The Wall Street Journal and BBC.com, and for Australian publications including The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and the Australian Journal of International Affairs. Alex provides regular commentary on diplomacy and consular affairs in Australian media, has given evidence at parliamentary inquiries and delivered a Senate Occasional Lecture in 2014. She is on the international advisory board of The Hague Journal of Diplomacy.    

Before joining the Institute in 2007, Alex was a senior associate at Mallesons Stephen Jaques Solicitors in Sydney, specialising in intellectual property and consumer law. Prior to her career in law she was an account director and brand manager at multinationals Leo Burnett Advertising and Unilever. Alex was the University Medallist in law at UNSW, has bachelor degrees in Law and Science and an A.Mus.A.