Global Linkages Lab

The Global Linkages Lab is dedicated to deepening our understanding of globalization 2.0 and changing international economic order. As a collaborative research hub, the Global Linkages Lab fosters innovative scholarship, funds state-of-the-art research, and provides insights to inform evidence-based domestic and international policymaking for global growth and welfare.

The Global Linkages Lab hosts a diverse range of raw and derived datasets on global trade and financial linkages, at a granular level. We share our data with the public through our Data Center to catalyze research in the field of international macroeconomics and finance, focusing on global challenges, their macroeconomic and finance implications, and unintended consequences of national policies on domestic and global economic outcomes.

Director

Şebnem Kalemli-Özcan

sebnemkalemliozcan.com

Şebnem Kalemli-Özcan is William R. Rhodes Professor of International Economics and Schreiber Family Professor of Economics. She is the Founder and Director of Global Linkages Lab. She is also the Director of William R. Rhodes Center for International Economics and Finance. She is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and a Research Fellow at the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). She is the co-editor of American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics and the managing editor of Economic Policy: Papers on European and Global Issues. She also serves at the economic advisory panels of the NY Federal Reserve and the Bank of International Settlements.

Research Directors

Muhammed A. Yildirim

sites.google.com/site/yildirim

Muhammed A. Yildirim is a Research Director at GLL. He also serves as the Director of Academic Research at the Harvard Growth Lab and an Associate Professor of Economics at Koç University. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University and a BS degree from the California Institute of Technology. Prior to joining the faculty at Koç University, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for International Development at Harvard University. His research primarily focuses on understanding network and spillover effects across various research domains, including industrial policy, international trade, productivity, economic growth, and matching. His work has been published both in econ and science journals, including Science, Nature, Review of Economic Studies, Journal of International Economics, and Journal of Economic Theory. He is the co-author of "The Atlas of Economic Complexity," published by the MIT Press.

Pablo Ottonello

sites.google.com/site/ottonellopablo

Pablo Ottonello is a Research Director at GLL. He is Professor of Economics and International and Political Affairs at Brown University and an NBER Research Fellow. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University. Prior to joining Brown, he was a faculty member at the University of Michigan and the University of Maryland, a Kenen Fellow at Princeton University, a Principal Research Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, and held visiting positions at Harvard Business School and New York University. Professor Ottonello’s research spans the fields of Macroeconomics, International Economics, Finance, and Monetary Economics. His research agenda focuses on economic crises, the interaction between financial markets and macroeconomic dynamics, and the role of macroeconomic policies in development. He is a Co-Editor of the Journal of International Economics and an Associate Editor of the Journal of Monetary Economics.

Fabrizio Perri

fperri.net

Fabrizio Perri is a Research Director at GLL. He is Professor of Economics at Brown University. Past positions include Monetary Advisor and Deputy Director at the research department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Professor of Economics at the University of Minnesota and at Università Bocconi, and William Berkley Professor in Economics and Business at New York University. He holds a degree in economics and social sciences from Universitá Bocconi and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Fabrizio’s research focuses on macroeconomics, international macroeconomics, and inequality. He is a fellow of the Econometric Society, an affiliate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) and serves as co-editor of Quantitative Economics.

Affiliated Faculty

Amy Handlan

sites.google.com/view/amy-handlan

Amy Handlan is the Yang Family Assistant Professor of Economics at Brown University. She earned her PhD and MA in Economics from the University of Minnesota and her BS in Economics from George Mason University. Her research spans monetary economics and macroeconomics, with a particular focus on applying computational text analysis and machine learning methods.

Alexandre Gaillard

a-gaillard.com

Alexandre Gaillard is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Brown University. He holds a PhD in Economics from the Toulouse School of Economics and was a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University. His research lies at the intersection of macroeconomics and public finance, with a particular focus on inequality, taxation, and trade.

Paula Donaldson

pauladonaldson.github.io

Paula Donaldson is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Brown University. She has a PhD in Economics from the University of California, San Diego. Her research spans macroeconomics and international economics, with a focus on how cross-sectional identification methods can be used to answer macroeconomic questions.

Spencer Kwon

spencerkwon.me

Spencer Kwon is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Brown University, and completed both undergraduate and PhD studies at Harvard University before coming to Brown. Spencer's research is in financial economics and behavioral economics, with a main interest in understanding how people respond to information and exploring the financial and macroeconomic implications. This work uses a variety of methods, including lab experiments, theoretical modeling, and empirical asset pricing.

Technical Director

Jacob M. Adamcik

Jacob M. Adamcik is the Technical Director of the Global Linkages Lab at Brown University. He is also a PhD student at Brown. He earned his Master of Science in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and a BS degree from Drexel University. Prior to joining the lab, he was a Quantitative Research Analyst at an investment management firm in Philadelphia.

Pre-Doc

Yuqi Shi

Yuqi Shi is a Pre-Doctoral Research Associate at GLL. His research interests lie in macroeconomics, financial systems and policy. Yuqi received his Master of Arts in International Economics and Finance from Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) and his Bachelor in Economics with a minor in Statistics from the University of California, Davis.

Jianbo (Jack) Zhu

Jianbo (Jack) Zhu is a Pre-Doctoral Research Associate at GLL. His research interests lie in macroeconomics and international economics. Jianbo received his MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and his Bachelor in Economics from Sun Yat-Sen University, Lingnan College.

Administrative Coordinators

Ilise Hamilton (Econ)

Ilise is an Administrative Coordinator at GLL. She has been in the econ department in various roles since 2018 and has been the manager since 2024. Ilise has a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Rhode Island.

Jenna Davis (Rhodes)

Jenna Davis is an Administrative Coordinator at GLL and the Assistant Director of the Rhodes Center for International Economics and Finance at Brown University's Watson School. She holds an MS in Environmental Science from Yale University and dual bachelor's degrees from the University of Florida. Before joining Brown, Jenna held advisory and research roles in international development, including with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab.

PhD Students

Olivia Lattus

olivialattus.com

Olivia Lattus is a PhD student. Her research interests lie in macroeconomics, finance, and behavioral finance. Before coming to Brown, Olivia received her bachelor of science in economics and minors in mathematics and French from Arizona State University.

Can Soylu

gll-funded

Can Soylu is a PhD student. He holds an A.B. in Social Studies and a Master's in Public Administration in International Development from Harvard University. He was a Research Fellow at Harvard's Growth Lab and the Belfer Center. His research focuses on macroeconomics, international economics, growth and development.

Julia Chahine

Julia Chahine is a 4th year PhD candidate researching international macroeconomics. Prior to Brown, she earned a M.Sc. in Applied and Interdisciplinary Mathematics from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in Theoretical Mathematics from Colby College.

Matthew DeHaven

matthewdehaven.com

Matthew DeHaven is a PhD student. He is interested in topics in macro-finance and international economics. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics-Economics from Furman University and worked as a research assistant at the Federal Reserve Board in D.C.

Chidubem Okechi

Chidubem Okechi is a PhD student. He is interested in topics in international economics. Prior to Brown, he worked as a quantitative analyst at a global investment management firm based in Boston.

Moritz Greiwe

Moritz Greiwe is a PhD student. His area is macro-finance and international finance. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Cologne and a M.Sc. in Economics from the Barcelona School of Economics. Prior to coming to Brown, he worked in the Macroprudential Policy and Financial Stability Division of the European Central Bank and as a research assistant at the University of Zurich.

Hyeonseo Lee

Hyeonseo Lee is a PhD student. Her research interests lie in macroeconomics, monetary economics, and international finance. She earned her B.A. in Economics and Psychology from Seoul National University. Prior to coming to Brown, she worked as a Junior Economist at the Bank of Korea.

Leo Zucker

Leo Zucker is a PhD candidate in economics at Brown University. He is interested in the intersection of business cycles and long-run growth. He worked as a research assistant at Harvard University and the Inter-American Development Bank before coming to Brown.

Camilo Marchesini

Camilo Marchesini is a PhD student. His research interests are in international finance and macroeconomics. Before joining Brown, he earned a B.Sc. in Economics and Social Sciences from the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, a M.Sc. in Economics from Uppsala University, and a M.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park. He worked as a research analyst in the Strategic Issues section of the Monetary Policy Strategy division of the European Central Bank.

Anu Verma

Anu Verma is a 3rd year PhD student interested in international and macroeconomics. She has a B.A. in Mathematics and Economics from McGill University. Before coming to Brown, she worked as a research analyst in the Monetary and Capital Markets department of the IMF.

Alumni

Finn Schüle

finnschule.com

Economist, Federal Reserve Board of Governors

Finn Schüle completed his PhD in Economics at Brown University. His research studies the implications of multi-sector models for monetary policy and the labor market. He earned an M.Sc. in Economics from the University of Warwick and a B.A. in History and Economics from the University of Oxford, and worked as a Senior Research Assistant for the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at the Brookings Institution before starting his PhD. He is now an economist at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

Jiayue Zhang

jzhangg.github.io

Postdoctoral Scholar, Energy & Environment Lab, University of Chicago

Jiayue Zhang completed her PhD in Economics at Brown University. Her research focuses on firm decisions in low-income countries using experimental methods and primary data collection. She has multiple active field projects in Ghana and Kenya. Jiayue earned an M.Sc. in Finance from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a Bachelor in Economics and Finance from the University of Hong Kong. Prior to her PhD, she worked as an Assistant Economist and then as a Manager at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.

Preetish Juneja

Quantitative Researcher, Global Stock Selection, AQR Capital Management

Preetish Juneja graduated from Brown University in 2026, concentrating in Applied Mathematics-Economics and Computer Science. His undergraduate thesis, supported by GLL, examined belief distortions in FX markets. He used GLL data and text-based methods to enhance fundamentals-driven signals in exchange rate dynamics and asset pricing. He is now a Quantitative Researcher on AQR Capital Management's Global Stock Selection team.

Daijin Dorsey-Reyes

Analyst at BlackRock

Daijin Dorsey-Reyes graduated from Brown University with an Sc.B. in Economics and Applied Mathematics. His research at GLL and his honors thesis focused on macroeconomic forecasting, monetary policy and global financial shocks. He interned at the BlackRock Investment Institute, developing short-term econometric FX models and estimating the impact of tariffs on CPI, and managed a portion of Brown's endowment as Portfolio Manager of the student-run ESG fund. He is now an Analyst at BlackRock.

John Farrell

johnfarrell.io

Software Engineer

John Farrell graduated from Brown University in 2026 with an Sc.B. in Computer Science and Mathematics. As the GLL's first web developer, he designed and built this website using Next.js, Tailwind CSS and Three.js. Since graduating he has worked as a software engineer, including a software engineering internship at Stripe and a contract engineering role at Seiden Group, and is now based in California.

Haoyu Sheng

haoyusheng.net

Quantitative Researcher and Systematic Trader at Susquehanna International Group

Haoyu Sheng completed his Economics PhD at Brown University. He pursued a concurrent masters degree in Computer Science through Brown's Open Graduate Fellowship program. He is interested in building and solving granular models of the macroeconomy, and leveraging alternative data to answer macroeconomic questions. He did his undergraduate studies at Williams College, majoring in Economics and Computer Science.

Danny Jang

linkedin.com/in/danny-jang-a1002a285

Research Assistant

Danny Jang was a high school intern at the Global Linkages Lab. He is a junior at Bergen County Technical High School (Teterboro) in New Jersey, with research interests in macroeconomics, behavioral economics, and international finance. He has coauthored papers on financial literacy, critical thinking, and sports economics, and is the founder of Futures Financials Inc., a nonprofit that has taught thousands of students personal finance. He hopes to pursue economics in college with a focus on global finance and policy. He attends Harvard University since the Fall of 2026.

Akshay Subramanian

sites.google.com/view/akshay-subramanian/home

Research Assistant

Akshay Subramanian was a high school senior from the Chicagoland area in Illinois, focused on combining technological innovation with data-informed intelligent decision making processes to create societal impact. As an affiliate researcher at the Global Linkages Lab, he explores data-intensive methods in the context of economics, with projects applying techniques like fuzzy matching to large datasets using Python and Excel. He attends University of Pennsylvania since the Fall of 2026.

Undergraduates

Vanessa Berman

Vanessa Berman is a junior at Brown University concentrating in Applied Mathematics-Economics and Music. She is interested in the intersection between mathematics and the social sciences, with an interest in macroeconomics and behavioral economics. She has research experience with the Levari Lab in the CoPsy department, studying decision-making, and with the Population Studies and Training Center. On campus, Vanessa helps coordinate logistics for the Brown University Math Olympiad and acts on the executive board of the Association for Women in Mathematics.

Pin Kasemsri

Pin Kasemsri is a junior at Brown University, studying Economics and International & Public Affairs. She is originally from Bangkok, Thailand. Her interests are in international political economy, global macroeconomics, and geopolitics.

Tetiana Kyryliuk

Tetiana Kyryliuk is a Junior at the Kyiv School of Economics pursuing a Sc.B. in Economics and Big Data, and a Visiting Student at Brown University. Her research interests lie in international finance and macroeconomics, with a particular focus on leveraging data analytics to understand global financial systems. As an incoming Research Fellow at the University of Toronto, she will specialize in financial planning and portfolio optimization using AI and machine learning. Previously, she gained professional experience as an Operations Analyst at a fintech company in Ukraine.

Matthew Nam

Matthew Nam is a sophomore at Brown University pursuing a Sc.B. in Electrical Engineering and A.B. in Economics. He is interested in macroeconomics, large-scale data solutions, and machine learning applications in economic contexts. He has experience in equity modeling as a Research Analyst at the Brown Private Equity Club and applied machine learning research as a Research Intern at the ACT Lab.

Larissa Flora

Larissa Flora is a member of the Class of 2027 at Brown University pursuing a Sc.B. in Applied Mathematics-Economics. Originally from Brazil, she is interested in international finance and macroeconomics, with a particular focus on emerging markets. She has professional experience in macroeconomic research and risk management on the buy and sell side in the Brazilian financial sector and is joining the World Bank Treasury for the summer of 2026.

Erim Özcan

erimozcan.com

Software Lead

Erim Özcan is a sophomore at Brown University pursuing a Sc.B. in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science. He leads software projects at the Global Linkages Lab, where he is building a custom Global-GE modeling of trade and capital flows with API for input-output analysis of real and perceived tariffs and maintains the lab's website and data infrastructure. He is interested in the intersection of software, physical systems, and economics. He is also an undergraduate researcher at Brown's Tripathi Lab, developing automated scientific instrumentation.

Gloria Yao

Gloria Yao is a junior at Brown University pursuing a Sc.B. in Computer Science-Economics. She is originally from Princeton, NJ, but also resided in Beijing, China. Her interests are in understanding exchange rates and currency risk, particularly how political and policy uncertainty gets priced into markets.

Tiziano Pardo

linkedin.com/in/tiziano-pardo-622a11276

Tiziano Pardo is a junior at Brown University pursuing a Sc.B. in Applied Mathematics-Economics and A.B. in International and Public Affairs. He is interested in international finance, macroeconomic policy shocks, and central banking policy. He has previous professional experience with the Department of Treasury and Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01).

Ethan Kang

Ethan Kang is a junior at Brown University studying Applied Mathematics-Economics and Computer Science. He has experience in private equity and venture capital and has done research in econometrics and biostatistics. He is looking to expand his intuition of financial markets in a more rigorous, academic setting.

Aditi Bhattacharjya

Aditi Bhattacharjya is a junior at Brown University studying Economics and International and Public Affairs on the Policy and Governance track. She is interested in international finance, monetary policy, and the regulatory frameworks that shape markets. Her professional experience includes interning at the office of U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and the Finance and Compliance team at EMILYs List. She is from the Washington, D.C. area.