Laura Saavedra-Lux

Laura Saavedra-Lux is a Research Associate at UNU-WIDER. In her work she examines the micro-foundations of political violence, socio-economic development, and the consolidation of peace. She is specifically interested in understanding how ordinary citizens respond to local security, development, and environmental challenges, and when these responses can have a positive effect on political and economic outcomes.

For her research she collects micro-level data using administrative records, geographic information systems (GIS), text-as-data approaches, surveys, and interviews. Her work draws upon strategies for causal inference, spatial econometrics, as well as qualitative analysis of interviews and field work observations.

She is a Fellow of PRIO’s (Peace Research Institute Oslo) Research School on Peace and Conflict. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Essex and a Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Uppsala.