I am Assistant Professor of Economic History at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). My research interests include political economy, gender, narratives and traditions, 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 origin and evolution of antisocial behavior. 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 oral traditions, through analyzing folklore themes, I discovered traditional narratives are 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).