I have received my doctorate degree in Economics at the University of California, Davis. My research focus is currently on global inequality, poverty, and health outcomes; growth; natural resources and quality of public institutions. In particular, I’m interested in the sub-national “natural resource curse” or the impact of natural resources on regional economic growth and quality of regional public institutions. In my other line of research, I investigate the relationships between economic factors and human capital outcomes, namely health, longevity, and reproductive behavior.

Prior to completing my Ph.D. I worked as a Senior Economist at the Regional Economic Studies Institute (RESI) of Towson University. While at RESI, I was involved in a wide range of applied economic research and consulting projects funded by government agencies and private companies. In particular, I served as a chief analyst for the economic forecasts, the economic impact studies, and the cost-benefit analyses of the proposed public and private initiatives.