Research

My research focuses on income distribution, economic resilience, and the political economy of the Middle East. I use heterodox methods including Agent-Based Modeling and Econophysics.

Income Distribution & the Vast Majority

My dissertation developed the Vast Majority Income (VMI)—the average income of the lowest-earning 80% of households. This measure captures both income levels and inequality, showing how growth in developing countries over the past forty years has not been inclusive: incomes of the majority lagged those of the top earners by about 1% annually. My current work uses econophysics and Agent-Based Modeling to explain the theoretical underpinnings of income distribution patterns.

Economic Resilience

At UNDP, I studied how developing countries can build resilience to economic crises (debt, banking, external shocks). This work shaped the flagship report Towards Economic Resilience. I also led efforts to shift humanitarian responses to refugee crises toward longer-term, developmental approaches—including the resilience-based response to the Syria crisis with UNDP/UNHCR. Most recently, I served as Lead Author for the ESCWA Economic Resilience Index (2025), covering 180+ countries.

Middle East Political Economy

I work on the economies of Egypt, Jordan, and Palestine, focusing on labor markets, rentier economies, and the economic impacts of conflict. This research has appeared in Metroeconomica and Review of Economics of the Household.