The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of more than 1,000 researchers at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty.
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of more than 1,000 researchers at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty.
Our affiliated professors are based at over 120 universities and conduct randomized evaluations around the world to design, evaluate, and improve programs and policies aimed at reducing poverty. They set their own research agendas, raise funds to support their evaluations, and work with J-PAL staff on research, policy outreach, and training.
Our research, policy, and training work is fundamentally better when it is informed by a broad range of perspectives.
Co-Chair, Finance
J-PAL Affiliated Professor
Frederic E. Abbe Professor of Economics
Harvard University
Emily Breza is the Frederic E. Abbe Professor of Economics at Harvard University Department of Economics and Co-Chair of J-PAL's Finance Sector. Her research focuses on development economics and household finance.
She is particularly interested in how financial decision-making interacts with both social effects and behavioral biases, and how financial product design can better integrate these factors. Some of her current research aims to use social networks to help present-biased savers better accomplish their goals. She is also involved in a project to understand the impacts of the 2010 Andhra Pradesh microfinance ordinance, which stopped all collections and lending activities of microlenders, on previous microfinance borrowers. Emily received her PhD from the MIT Economics Department and her BA from Yale University.
In addition to serving as Co-Chair of J-PAL's Finance Sector, Emily has served as a lecturer at J-PAL training events.