Maya Escueta

Maya Escueta is a postdoctoral associate at the Center for Child and Family Policy working on the NICHD-funded Baby’s First Years project and research applying behavioral insights to programs with Family Connects International. Escueta's research focuses on leveraging rigorous quantitative methods and insights from psychology and neuroscience to investigate the role of trauma and adversity on the early developmental outcomes of vulnerable children. At the Center, her work focuses specifically on child maltreatment as a consequence of poverty and studies the impact of poverty reduction policies and parenting interventions on child maltreatment and family dynamics. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., Escueta worked in India for three years with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), where she oversaw a randomized controlled trial of a technology-based education intervention and worked with key decision-makers in the South Asia region to bridge the gap between policy implementation and research.

Escueta holds a Ph.D. in economics and education from Teachers College, Columbia University; a Master's in public policy from Duke University, and a B.A. in English and philosophy from Columbia University. She is a John Jay Scholar (Columbia University) and University Scholar (Duke University), both awarded for interdisciplinary achievement.