I am a development and agricultural economist working at the intersection of agrifood systems, food and agricultural policy, climate adaptation and resilience, and food security in fragile, conflict-affected, and resource-constrained settings. My research examines how agricultural systems, climate shocks, and development interventions shape food security, livelihoods, and rural economic outcomes, using empirical methods to generate evidence for policy and program decisions.
My work draws on applied econometrics, impact evaluation, and causal inference methods, applied to large-scale household survey, administrative, experimental, and climate datasets. I have led and contributed to interdisciplinary, multi-country research and development programs, managing over $10 million in competitive research funding in partnership with governments, international organizations, and development agencies. This work spans the full research cycle, from study design and data collection to econometric analysis, economic appraisal, and translating findings into policy and investment decisions.
My research has been published in Food Policy, The Journal of Development Studies, PLOS ONE, and other peer-reviewed journals, alongside policy reports and technical outputs informing program and investment decisions at FAO, IFAD, and DFID. I have presented my work at international conferences and workshops, including an invited talk at Stanford University.
I hold a PhD in Development and Agricultural Economics from the University of Nottingham and an MS in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Purdue University. I am currently an external research fellow at the Centre for Research in Economic Development and International Trade (CREDIT), University of Nottingham and a MESA Global Academy Scholar (2025–2027), engaging with policy-relevant research on the Middle East and North Africa. Previously, I served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), leading applied research across the MENA region, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central Asia, and as a Senior Economist and Head of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning at the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) in Afghanistan. Earlier in my career, I also taught agricultural economics at Kabul University.
My work to date has been international, but what drives it is universal: the space where evidence meets policy, where research connects to community and practice, and where data and empirical analysis shape outcomes. I am interested in research collaboration, applied policy work, and opportunities at research institutions, universities, think tanks, and evaluation organizations working on questions at the frontier of agrifood systems, climate, and, agricultural and food policy.
My research focuses on applied empirical questions in agriculture, food systems, and climate resilience in fragile, conflict-affected, and resource-constrained settings. I am particularly interested in questions of program effectiveness, adaptation to climate and conflict, and the distributional impacts of policy interventions. I welcome research collaboration and am open to opportunities at research institutions, universities, think tanks, and development organizations working on these themes.
