My research interests are at the intersection of economic history, development economics and demography. In particular, my research focuses on the impact of international trade on long-term development in Africa, the relationship between religion and socioeconomic development and gender relations in urban and rural contexts. I am a specialist in employing historical data, collected from a wide range of local and archival sources, to analyse African commodity trade as well as living standards, health and the effects of religion on urban and rural populations. I am board member of the African Economic History Network (AEHN) and co-editor of its textbook The History of African Development.

Previously, I was a post-doctoral researcher at Wageningen University's Economic and Environmental History Group (2020-2022) and awarded a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Department of Economics, University of Sussex (2017-2020). I graduated from Utrecht University with a Ph.D. in Social and Economic History (2015) and MSc in Economics and History (2009). I also hold a MA in Development Cooperation (Universidad de Cantabria, 2010).

I have taught a broad range of courses in history, economics and development studies at the University of Sussex (UK), Wageningen University, Utrecht University, Mountains of the Moon University (Uganda) and the African School of Economics (Benin).