I am a Development Economist with a regional focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. I use experimental methods to study the mechanisms of institutional development in fragile states. My fundamental interest is in deepening our understanding of how such positive institutional change happens, how it evolves and sustains, and its impact on development outcomes.  My work sits at the intersection of development economics (primary), political economy, and public economics. My research is embedded in policy reforms and development interventions. Much of my research is the product of fruitful partnerships that I have established with policymakers, donors, development agencies, and practitioners.  My research has been published in the American Economic Review, the Journal of Development Economics, Nature, and Science Advances.

I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Development Economics at the Centre for the Study of African Economies in the Department of Economics at the University of Oxford.