Carlos X. Lastra-Anadón is an assistant professor and research director of the Center for the Governance of Change at IE University. Previously, Lastra-Anadón was a postdoctoral research fellow at The Europe Center at the Freeman Spogli Institute at Stanford. His research interests lie at the intersection of political economy and policy with a focus on education policy, as well as health and environmental policies. Part of his work has been concerned with understanding what sustains and enhances robust human capital formation and the role that the political process may play in facilitating or impeding its development in different contexts.

Lastra-Anadón completed his Ph.D. in government and social policy at Harvard University, a Master in Public Policy (MPP) from Harvard Kennedy School, and a MMathPhil in mathematics and philosophy  from the University of Oxford.