Sylvia’s main research interests relate to taxation, public finance, governance, development economics, and public policy evaluation. Sylvia is also a Fellow at the Southern African Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (SAIPAR), an independent think tank based in Zambia. Prior to joining IDinsight, Sylvia was head of the Public Finance Unit at the Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (ZIPAR), a quasi-government think tank under the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, providing overall technical and thought leadership in the Unit. Before joining ZIPAR, Sylvia was an Assistant Professor of Economics at Black Hills State University, United States. She also worked as a lecturer and researcher at the University of Zambia. Sylvia is a seasoned academic and analyst with vast research experience in Zambia. Some of her consultancy clients include the Government of Zambia (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Housing, and Infrastructure Development, Ministry of Finance and National Planning), Centre for Global Development (CGD), World Bank, UNICEF, UNDP, Clinton Foundation, African Development Bank, and International Development Research Centre (IDRC). Sylvia has also authored and published several papers in Public Sector Economics, Tax Policy, International Economics, Health Economics, and Development Economics. Sylvia holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (United States), an MA in Economics from the University of Malawi (Chancellor College), and a BA (Economics major) from the University of Zambia. As a student, Sylvia won various honors and fellowships, including the Fulbright Scholarship (to pursue her Ph.D. in the United States), the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC, to pursue an MA) scholarship, and the Bank of Zambia (Central Bank of Zambia) scholarship.