She obtained a PhD in development economics from the University of Florence in 2008, she was a post-doctoral fellow at the European University Institute in Florence in 2009/10, and then at CERDI (University of Auvergne) from November 2010 to September 2012.
Her research focuses on the economic and social consequences of migration on countries of origin, the relationship between fertility school enrolment and young women's work in Africa, and more generally on the economics of education and gender issues.
She has published her research in several journals, including Economic Development and Cultural Change, Word Development, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, and Journal of Development Studies.