Graduated in Modern History (Oxford University) and Ph.D. in social policy at Northwestern University, USA. He has been senior advisor to CIESPI/PUC-Rio since the 1980s. His research, policy and advocacy interests include low-income children and families, community economic development, workforce development and affordable housing. He has taught as a regular faculty member at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago in the US and for 15 years was president of Woodstock Institute, a US community economic development think tank. He served a term on the Consumer Advisory Council of the US Federal Reserve Board and on the boards of a number of US national community economic development coalitions.