Esther Duflo is a French-American economist known for her work in development economics. She is a co-founder of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), which focuses on reducing poverty through evidence-based research. Duflo's innovative approach involves conducting randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness of various interventions aimed at improving the lives of the poor. In 2019, Duflo was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences alongside Abhijit Banerjee and Michael Kremer for their contributions to alleviating global poverty. Her research emphasizes the importance of using data to inform policy decisions, making her a leading figure in the field of economics.