Takaaki Masaki’s work focuses on leveraging GIS, big data, and machine learning to enhance development statistics, support spatial targeting, and evaluate the distributional impact of policy interventions. Prior to joining ADB, he served as a Senior Economist in the World Bank’s Poverty and Equity Global Practice and previously worked at AidData. His research has been published in journals such as the Journal of Development Economics, World Bank Economic Review, World Development, and the Journal of Politics. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Cornell University.