I am a PhD student at the Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics, and a Research Assistant at the Free Market Institute, both at Texas Tech University.  

My research is aimed at the political economy of development, with special emphasis on the institutional environment of Latin America and the impact of populism and corruption on institutions. 

I have also worked as a policy analyst in the Executive and Legislative branches of City of Porto Alegre, Brazil, where I got to work on important economic reforms. I discuss policy issues as a regular contributor to Exame, one of the most popular media outlets in Brazil.

I am originally from Caxias do Sul, a city in the mountains of Brazil's southern-most state.