Dev Patel is a development economist primarily focusing on topics related to the environment, gender, and education. Across these areas, he has three main streams of research. First, he examines the causes and consequences of beliefs. Second, he studies the economics of norms and the social compact. Finally, he investigates the determinants of economic growth.   

In 2026, he will start as an Assistant Professor in the Brown Department of Economics and Institute at Brown for Environment and Society. He received his Ph.D. in economics from Harvard in 2024.