I am an Assistant Professor of Economic History at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and a Research Affiliate at CEPR. My research interests include political economy, gender, culture and narrative, and early modern and modern China. 

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My work examines the rise of women, the self-perpetuation of authoritarian regimes, and the role of affirmative action in human capital accumulation. By tracing the impact of historical events over time and in various institutional settings, my work centers on the role of values, beliefs, and norms in shaping economic and political disparities. 

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In my research of traditional narratives, I discovered that folklore is an important source of values in contemporary society. This line of inquiry has produced a global dataset of values and beliefs across countries and ethnicities (Summary/Data/Workshop), with ongoing work in the broad area.