Ana Paula Pellegrino is a PhD Candidate at the Department of Government at Georgetown University. She uses both quantitative and qualitative data and methods to study criminal and political violence, with a particular interest in Latin America. In addition to support from Georgetown, her research is supported by Fundação Estudar’s Leaders program, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation’s Emerging Scholars program, and the US Institute of Peace and Minerva Research Initiative’s Peace Scholar Fellowship program. A Brazilian national, she holds a BA and MA in International Relations and an MA in Data Science from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). Outside of academia, Ana Paula has worked in Brazilian civil society organizations conducting research and advocacy, developing impact-driven technology solutions, and spearheading philanthropic strategies. She also organizes the Violence, Instability and Peace Workshop.