Global Food Security: Research to Drive Evidence-Based Policy and Practice
🌍 I am a Ph.D. Candidate in Applied Economics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, specializing in food security and nutrition in low- and middle-income countries. My research addresses one of the world’s most critical challenges: ensuring that vulnerable populations have consistent access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. Specifically, my work focuses on three key research areas:
Drivers of Food Insecurity
I study how economic conditions, environmental factors, and agricultural practices influence food insecurity and nutritional outcomes.Advancing Poverty/Food Security Measurement
I also contribute to better characterizing food-insecure populations and regions, as well as developing predictive tools using machine learning models to effectively target these populations and support early warning systems.Humanitarian Aid Responses to Acute Hunger
I investigate global humanitarian responses to acute hunger, assessing the effectiveness of aid mechanisms in addressing urgent food crises.
Leveraging causal inference, machine learning, and big data analytics, I work with diverse data sources—including household surveys, remote sensing products, and unstructured text data—to uncover the causes and consequences of poverty/food insecurity. My findings aim to inform targeted interventions and strategic policymaking.
Professional Engagements
Beyond academia, I currently contribute as a consultant to international institutions:
- Data Scientist and Modeling Specialist with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Unit at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), focusing on developing advanced tools and models to strengthen food security early warning systems.
- Impact Assessment Specialist with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), providing expertise to support impact assessment initiatives.
Through my work, I aim to bridge data-driven research with actionable policy solutions, fostering resilience and improving health outcomes for vulnerable communities worldwide.