My research and teaching interests stand at the intersection of international relations and comparative politics, with a particular focus on non-state actors and contentious politics in developing countries. I am most interested in four broad related topics: the causes and consequences of inequality and civil violence in multiethnic states, processes of ethnic group mobilization, the impact of elite networks on contentious politics in developing countries, as well as political extremism and radicalization. My research is informed by both quantitative and qualitative methods and draws on profound regional expertise acquired, above all, through field research in both Latin America (Guatemala, Ecuador) and Sub-Saharan Africa (Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon). I am the author of "Mobilization and Conflict in Multiethnic States," which explains why some multiethnic countries are more prone to civil violence than others, combining statistical analyses with 150 in-depth elite interviews with key social and political actors.