Claire Walsh leads the Policy and Communications group at J-PAL, which collaborates with the J-PAL research network and policymakers to synthesize and share insights from randomized evaluations to inform policy design and scale decisions and advance evidence-informed policy to reduce poverty.

Sam is the Senior AI Policy Manager at J-PAL, where she leads efforts to use insights from existing evidence to maximize the social impact of artificial intelligence, and to generate new evidence on the impacts and unintended consequences of AI tools. Prior to joining J-PAL in 2025, Sam was a Senior...

Sarah Gault is a Training Manager at J-PAL Global, where she works on developing and delivering training courses on impact evaluation for policymakers and researchers, including J-PAL’s Evaluating Social Programs course and online course offerings.

David Phillips is a Research Professor of Economics at the University of Notre Dame. His research focuses on urban geography, public transit, crime, housing subsidies, and their intersections with poverty. His work primarily utilizes experimental and quasi-experimental methods.

Katie Chen is the Policy Manager to the Global Executive Director at J-PAL, where she works closely with Global Executive Director Iqbal Dhaliwal to implement J-PAL’s global strategy and organizational priorities.

Laina Sonterblum is a Senior Policy Associate at J-PAL North America. She supports the development and implementation of randomized evaluations and synthesizes research findings in order to promote evidence-based social programs and policies.