I am an Assistant Professor of Economics at Princeton University since fall of 2018. I am an affiliate at CESifo Research Network, NBER Development and Political Economy groups, BREAD, the African School of Economics, and the International Crisis Group.

One strand of my research explores how children start a criminal career in drug trafficking and gangs, and the consequences of organized crime on economic development and state capacity. In particular, I have research on the development of criminal skills in drug trafficking organizations in Peru and gangs in El Salvador and the role of migration and deportation policies. In addition, I study how criminal organizations affect households’ behavior and state presence in the areas they control. I am also working with governments to design and evaluate public policies in narcotraffic and gang-controlled areas analyzing large administrative datasets.

Another strand of my research studies the role of norms and policing in reducing gender-based violence through various randomized control trials. In particular, I am studying the effects of women police officers in Peru, police street patrolling targeting street sexual harassment in Hyderabad, and gender-violence education in Mozambique. In addition to this research, I have ongoing collaborative research projects in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Venezuela, Colombia, Bihar, and the US.

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