Biography

Kaitlyn Zhao is a Predoctoral Research Assistant at the Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) at the London School of Economics. Prior to joining CEP in 2025, she completed her MSc in Economics of Development at the University of Oxford. She also holds a BA in Economics and Politics from Cornell University, and previously worked in financial growth consultancy. She is currently working on a project directed by Professor Stephen Machin, Professor Jeffrey Grogger, and Dr Matteo Sandi on the impact of permanent school exclusion on youth crime in England.

Current areas of research include:

• Economics of education: Alternative provision
• Economics of crime: Permanent exclusion and youth violence in England