R

Pratik Sachdeva, Ph.D.

Data/Research Scientist, Senior Consultant, and Senior Instructor

I am staff at the Social Sciences D-Lab. I received my Ph.D. in the Physics department at Berkeley. My research lies in the realm of theoretical/computational neuroscience, which aims to use mathematical and computational tools to better understand how neural systems operate and process information. My projects include using information-theoretic techniques to study how neural variability impacts information processing in neural circuits and investigating the statistical issues that impede the interpretation of parametric models of neural activity.

Beyond research, I'm...

Amber Galvano

Data Science Fellow 2024-2025
Linguistics
Linguistics (sociophonetics, phonology)

I am a fourth-year PhD student in Linguistics, with a focus in sociophonetics and phonology. In my research, I'm interested in how understudied speech communities (Andalusians, southern Spain; Lobi and Tonko Limba, West Africa) and often-relegated aspects of social identity (sexuality, gender normativity) can inform new approaches to theory and methodology and how we conceptualize the interfaces between linguistic subfields.

I'm also involved in language documentation/revitalization work for Lobi and the development of automated phonetic methods, particularly for...

Taesoo Song

Data Science Fellow 2024-2025
City and Regional Planning

Taesoo is a Ph.D. candidate in the City and Regional Planning department at the University of California, Berkeley. He studies the nexus of housing policy, neighborhood change, and residential outcomes for low-income and minority households.

His dissertation aims to reassess the prevailing narrative that Asian Americans face minimal barriers in the housing market using quantitative and qualitative methods. Taesoo has worked with the Terner Center for Housing Innovation and the Urban Displacement Project at UC Berkeley, as well as the Seoul Institute in South Korea.

Ruiji Sun

Data Science Fellow 2024-2025
Architecture

Ruiji Sun is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Building Science at UC Berkeley. He is also a GSR at the Center for the Built Environment (CBE). His dissertation focuses on causal inference in the built environment. Other areas of his research include indoor environmental quality, personalized environmental control systems, and building energy modeling.

He obtained his M.S. degree from Carnegie Mellon University and double-majored in Mechanical Engineering (HVAC) and Architecture at Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, China. Ruiji also served as a board...

Yue Lin

Data Science Fellow 2024-2025
Political Science

Yue is a Ph.D. student in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley, with a Designated Emphasis on Political Economy. Using mixed methods, she studies foreign lobbying, geopolitical risk, and economic security to understand when, how, and why multinational corporations become the targets and weapons of state power rivalry.

Nanqin Ying

Data Science Fellow 2024-2025
Goldman School of Public Policy

Nanqin Ying, a second-year graduate student at the Goldman School of Public Policy specializing in Development Practices, combines a robust nonprofit background with advanced data science techniques. She focuses on leveraging machine learning and big data to drive significant social change, aiming to transform insights into actionable, positive impacts on communities.

Paul Salamanca

Instructor
Sociology

I am a PhD student in sociology. I study imperialism, race, and gender, with a historical focus on the colonial Philippines. In my free time, I like to cook and bake.

Jane (Mango) Angar

Data Science Fellow 2024-2025
Political Science

Hi! I am a PhD candidate in the Political Science Department at UC Berkeley. My dissertation traces the emergence of disability rights groups in Africa, focusing on Zambia and Malawi, and examines factors influencing their effectiveness. I use mixed methods, including archival work, field interviews, participant observation, and surveys for data collection.

My data analysis techniques include text analysis, social network analysis, means tests, and regressions. In my free time, I enjoy moderately difficult hikes, walks along the beach with my dog, Princess, and...

Kamya Yadav

Senior Data Science Fellow
Political Science

Kamya is a third year PhD student in the Department of Political Science. Using multimethod research, she studies gender, representation, and political parties in India to understand the barriers and pathways to women's political participation and representation. She has a BA in Politics from Princeton University.

Bruno Smaniotto

Data Science Fellow 2024-2025
Economics

I'm originally from Brazil, but I have been living in Berkeley for the last 5 years working towards my PhD in Economics. My main areas of interest are Behavioral and Macroeconomics, mostly their intersection, but I'm excited about learning and working on empirical applications on different fields.