Welcome to my webpage. I am a Tenured Associate Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics of Clermont Auvergne University, CERDI. Previously, I was a Visiting Scholar at the Department of Economics of Harvard University (sponsored by Pr. Nathan Nunn) and at the Toulouse School of Economics (TSE). I was part of the founding team of the French Association of Development Economists (AFEDEV) and served as an elected member of its Steering Committee.
You can find my CV here.
I am an economist working at the intersection of Development Economics and Political Economy, with a focus on Cultural Economics, Gender, and Environmental Governance.
My research investigates a central question: how do information, informal norms, and formal institutions interact to shape human behavior, political representation, and collective action? Methodologically, I combine granular micro-data—such as geolocated surveys, fine-grained spatial data, and textual data—with quasi-experimental designs (e.g., spatial RDD, event studies, and staggered difference-in-differences) to draw causal inference and inform policy design.
My work is organized around two core themes:
Information, Media, and Collective Action: How do digital connectivity, public regulations, and social networks reshape political representation and civic engagement? I examine the political and social consequences of access to information, particularly how digital shocks (e.g., social media penetration) foster egalitarian gender norms and female political representation. I also investigate private politics and corporate accountability, analyzing how public climate regulations mobilize civil society activism against polluting firms.
Cultural Persistence, Gender, and Informal Institutions: How do ancestral norms and kinship structures influence contemporary behavior and policy effectiveness? I explore how deeply embedded cultural traditions—such as matrilineal vs. patrilineal kinship organization—persist across generations and interact with modern laws and health shocks. My research details how ancestral norms shape women's empowerment, health outcomes, and intra-household bargaining. Additionally, I contribute to the methodological debate on comparative development and the epidemiological approach to cultural persistence.