I am a political scientist and international development professional with two decades of experience in academia, applied policy research, and international research leadership. I have spent about a decade with the United Nations and previously worked with Harvard, MIT, and the World Bank. In September, I joined the University of Birmingham as Professor in Governance and Development, and Director of the Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (GSDRC). Do check out https://gsdrc.org/ - updates coming!Previously, I was based with the United Nations University, World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), where I was as Senior Research Fellow. During 2019-23, I served as a member of the Senior Management Team, and of the Steering Group of the 'SA-TIED' programme on inclusive economic development in South Africa, a collaboration of UNU-WIDER, the South African National Treasury, SARS, and FCDO - https://sa-tied.wider.unu.edu. Among other roles, I have served as Chair of the UN University's Ethics Review Board.My work focuses on issues of inequality, including between ethnic groups; the state, governance, and democracy; and development cooperation and the interaction between international and domestic actors. I have area expertise in sub-Saharan Africa, although my most recent work has been more cross-country.I have led multiple international research projects in these areas, including generating research income, and managing research budgets and associated research and non-research staff. I have a track record of prioritizing inclusivity, diversity, and capacity development in my work.I am currently a co-Principal Investigator for the project, 'The Impact of Inequality on Growth, Human Development, and Governance-@EQUAL', which is supported by a 1.5 million Euro grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. It is a collaboration of the University of Copenhagen, UNU-WIDER, the Central Institute for Economic Management in Vietnam, and Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique. I have published 30+ articles/chapters and edited/co-edited 2 books and 13 journal special issues in well-regarded academic outlets such as World Development and Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. I also write for outlets with a broader audience such as The Conversation UK. In 2007-09, I co-authored the first two editions of the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, which has become a standard reference on governance.I hold a PhD (MIT), Master of Public Policy (MPP, Harvard), and Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS, Georgetown).