Biography
I am passionate about deepening quantitative research methods in social and behavioral sciences, working at the intersection of behavioral science and analytical data science to look at data in new ways. Particularly, I am interested in pursuing research in Behavioural Systems using simulation and network methods and applying it to the big development problems in the Global South. Systems thinking offers a powerful lens to look at collective behavior as well as consequences of individual behavior at the system level. From a thematic lens, my research interests have strong applications in Financial inclusion, Uptake of digital services in low-income populations across health, agriculture and finance and Interlinkages in collective human behavior within climate systems.
At Busara, I currently lead the Quantitative Research vertical where we design studies in causal inference (RCTs, cRCTs and quasi-experimental designs), implement data science tools like clustering and machine learning models on social science data and execute data-centered methodologies like digital financial diaries and spatial analysis. During my 4+ years with the organization, I have applied behavioral science across digital privacy, financial inclusion, uptake of digital tools among farmers and community health workers and sexual reproductive health among young married couples, using both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
Busara puts a strong focus on the Human element in Human-centered Research and my journey has been true to this. I thoroughly enjoy engaging with research participants and some of my most cherished moments from my initial years in research are from field visits to conduct interviews and co-design workshops. I see a future where human-centered research works in tandem with top-down methodologies from data science to develop more realistic models of social interactions and enable better solutions for society and I intend to be a part of this development.
I hold a Masters degree in Human Decision Science from Maastricht University and a Bachelors in Economics from the Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University.
Profiles: LinkedIn
Languages Spoken: English, Hindi