Sapnoti is a financial economist who works primarily in the area of corporate innovation, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and financial regulation.  

Her research interests include evaluating the ways in which regulation affects firms, and the interactions between firms.  She investigates the ways by which financial regulation can affect strategic behavior of firms, especially mergers and acquisitions policy, innovation policy, and risk management policy. In the case of innovation, she has worked on issues such as what kind of innovation can be encouraged in firms, and also what effect innovation has on the financial performance of firms.