Fernando B. Mello
Post Doctoral Researcher at IC3JM.I received my P.h.D in Political Science and a M.S in statistics from UCLA
I am a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the POLARCHATS project, at the Institute Carlos III Juan March. My research interests are comparative politics, polarization, social media, elections, public policy and lobbying.
I examine the causes and consequences of polarization and how social media and organized groups affect the behavior of voters and politicians. I am also interested in how social media affects lobbying, and in the effects of public policies (such as the pension system and housing policy) on voting behavior and citizens' lives.
My research combines experimental designs to study political elites, survey experiments to understand voters’ behavior, in-depth interviews with political actors, and the collection of millions of observational datapoints to address canonical questions about how politics works.
I have experience teaching Latin American politics, introduction to comparative politics, and research methods. I am a recipient of the UCLA Deans' Schoolarship, the Tinker's Foudation grant and the Dissertation Year Fellowship.
I have published books in Portuguese and English. My research has been published at Latin American Politics and Society and Democracy and Society.
In the past, I have worked as an political and investigative reporter in Brazil.