Uniting
Research and Policy

As a predoctoral researcher, I work on topics of Political Economy and Development with Professors Maria Angélica Bautista and James Robinson.

My research interests lie on the roots and consequences of social structures and differentiation (schismogenesis), with an emphasis on identifying enablers of institutional change that promote fairer societies. I am particularly interested in how a sense of belonging (through religious groups, castes, lineages, or age-grades) can motivate individuals and lead to significant socio-economic outcomes. I want to study the causes and consequences of identity, group formation, and intra- and inter-group dynamics, including competition and collaboration.

Together with Professors Robinson, Bautista and Korieh, I study the enablers of the pre-colonial Dual-Sex Political System in Eastern Nigeria, where the institutionalization of a female king, parallel to the male king, represents a unique example of women challenging centralization with innovative political institutions.

In parallel, with Prof. Bautista, Ana Tribín and other co-authors, I am exploring the consequences of specific gender dynamics within family structures in Central Asia. Independently, I am working on improving the understanding of national-level center-periphery social structures. In the context of Colombia I study the consequences of local periphery identities of public officials on budgetary decisions.

As a student of the Harris School, I provided research assistantship to Prof. Raúl Sánchez de la Sierra and co-authors, exploring the effect of political patronage on illegal risk-taking behavior by boat-owners in Sicily.

I hold a degree in International Business Economics from Pompeu Fabra University (Spain), graduating in 2016. Since then, I have gained research experience through collaborations with academics, consultants, and nonprofits, focusing mostly on African countries. I have conducted fieldwork in Uganda, Tanzania, Cameroon, Nigeria, Mauritania, and Cape Verde, and worked closely with the Moroccan government on rural development projects. I graduated from the MA in Public Policy with a Certificate in Research Methods at the Harris School in 2023.