Hello! I'm Paula, a PhD candidate in Economics at Colorado State University. My research focuses on global finance and its impact on the financial fragility of emerging and developing economies. I use panel and time-series econometric methods to study how international financial flows shape exposure to financial crises in these economies, while paying particular attention to how developing economies are structurally positioned within the global financial system.

My job market paper examines the association between central bank reserve accumulation and the reshaping of domestic financial sector balance sheets across 27 small island developing states. I show that this association differs meaningfully by economy type, comparing pegged exchange rate regimes, floating regimes, tourism-dependent economies, and tax havens.

Looking ahead, I'm increasingly interested in the flip side of this question: how finance can be redirected toward development? And can countries betterinsulate themselves from the volatility and constraints imposed by their position in the global financial system?