Esther Duflo - Curriculum Vitae#
Current Position:
- 2004 - present Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics, MIT
- 2003 - present Founding Director, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), MIT
Education:
- Ph.D. in Economics, MIT (1999)
- M.A. in Economics, École Normale Supérieure, Paris (1995)
Research Interests:
Development economics, poverty alleviation, public policy, education, health, gender, labor markets, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Honors and Awards (Selected):
- Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (2019)
- Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences (2018)
- Corresponding Fellow, British Academy (2017)
- Member, National Academy of Sciences (2008)
- John Bates Clark Medal, American Economic Association (2009)
- MacArthur Fellowship (2005)
- Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, France (2013)
Selected Major Publications:
Poor Economics (with A. Banerjee, 2011, updated version, 2025)
Good Economics for Hard Times (with A. Banerjee, 2019)
“The Voice of Monetary Policy” American Economic Review (2023)
“Market Power and Inequality” Quarterly Journal of Economics (2022)
“Education, HIV, and Early Fertility” Journal of Political Economy (2021)
“Field Experiments and the Practice of Policy” American Economic Review (2019)
Editorial and Professional Roles:
Editor, American Economic Review
Member, Pontifical Academy of Sciences (since 2021)
Advisor to governments and international institutions on poverty reduction policies
Extensive fieldwork in India, Africa, and Latin America using RCTs to assess policy effectiveness
Research Impact:
Duflo’s work revolutionized development economics by integrating experimental methods, particularly RCTs, to rigorously evaluate policies. Her research has influenced global strategies on education, health, microfinance, and women’s empowerment, shaping the work of governments, NGOs, and international organizations.
Citation Metrics:
Google Scholar Citations: 110,000+
h-index: 107
