I am an Associate Professor of Economics (Research) and a Senior Economist at the Center of Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, specializing in labor economics and development economics. My research lies at the intersection of labor and development economics, with a focus on human capital accumulation and labor supply dynamics over the life course. I combine experimental, quasi-experimental, and structural modeling methods to evaluate policy impacts and uncover behavioral mechanisms, with a particular interest in applying economic theory to real-world policy questions in both high- and low-income settings.

Human Capital Development: I study how parental investments and early childhood interventions influence child development outcomes. Using randomized controlled trials, I have evaluated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of scalable parenting programs in Chile and Kenya. I currently lead three multi-year NIH-funded studies that test new approaches to parenting support in low-resource settings, including models that engage fathers and those delivered through mobile technology. In earlier work, I examined how the timing of parental income at different childhood stages affects long-term human capital accumulation, well as the role of education in shaping participation in informal labor markets.

Health and Labor Supply at Older Ages: In this line of research, I have developed novel measures of individuals' work capacity based on the (mis)match between abilities possessed and ability requirements in the U.S. economy, and studied their implications for inequality, retirement transitions, and health outcomes. Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) methods for real-time data collection, I am currently examining how job demands and leisure activities jointly affect health and labor decisions among older adults. In prior work, I have used life-cycle structural models to assess the causal effect of retirement on cognition and to study how pension systems shape incentives for labor supply and human capital accumulation. 

For a complete list of publications and ongoing projects, please see my CV here.