Background

I am a Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Development, where I also direct the Migration Program. I am also a Professor of Practice at Brown University and affiliated with The Growth Lab at Harvard University.

My research sits at the intersection of international economics and economic development, focusing on topics such as migration, the diffusion of technology and productive knowledge across countries, and structural transformation.

I have served as a consultant for the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, and in 2019 I was a member of a task force addressing the Venezuelan migration crisis convened by the Organization of American States. I also produce and host the videocast/podcast "Economists on Zoom Getting Coffee."

I received my Ph.D. in public policy from Harvard University. I also hold an M.P.A. in international development from Harvard Kennedy School, an M.A. in economics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a B.A. in systems engineering from Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas, Venezuela.

Originally from Venezuela, I am both Israeli and Venezuelan. I frequently contribute to public discourse on migration, Latin American economics, and development policy through op-eds, podcasts, and public lectures.