Full Professor and Coordinator of the Public Sector Economics Research Group at the Department of Economics, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil. Holds a PhD in Economics from University College London, UK. Has worked as a consultant for the United Nations Development Programme – UNPD, the World Bank, the Brazilian Ministry of Finance, the Luxembourg Income Study – LIS, the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research – UNU/WIDER, the Organisation for Co-operation and Economic Development – OECD. Research interest is focused on the use of microsimulation models to assess impact of tax-benefit systems on income distribution, inequality and poverty.