Dr. Escobal has been associated with Young Lives Peru since the inception of the project, first as Principal Investigator and later as Co-Principal Investigator.

He is senior Research at GRADE in Lima, specializing in Development Economics. He holds a degree in Economics from the Universidad del Pacifico in Peru, a Master of Art and PhD studies in Economics from New York University (USA) and a PhD in Development Economics from Wageningen University (The Netherlands).

His research interests include rural development, poverty, agricultural policies, and the sectoral impact of macroeconomic policy.  His research has won several international awards such as the Prize for the best doctoral thesis in International Development awarded by the World Bank and the Amsterdam Institute for International Development; the Award for Excellence in Development Research awarded by the Global Development Network and the Guggenhaim Fellowship.