Mariajose is a Bolivian development economist that works at the intersection of research, public policy, and science communication at J-PAL Europe and is an associated researcher at LISER. Her research focuses on experimental evidence on the socioeconomic integration of refugees and women in male-dominated sectors.
She obtained her PhD from the School of Business and Economics at Maastricht University, in collaboration with IIES – Stockholm University. In 2021–2022, she was a Robert S. McNamara Fellow at DIME – World Bank. In the fall of 2019, she was a visiting researcher at the Global Poverty Research Lab at Northwestern University.
Previously, she managed impact evaluations for the World Bank and Innovations for Poverty Action in Uganda and Tanzania. She also conducted a research study in Côte d'Ivoire on a UN IFAD program related to the reintegration of ex-combatants through agriculture.
She is co-founder of BOWEN – Bolivian Women in Economics Network.