Renos Vakis leads the Mind, Behavior, and Development Unit (eMBeD) at the World Bank, championing the integration of behavioral science into policy-making across governments and institutions. His research at the intersection of behavioral science and development spans a diverse range of issues, from poverty dynamics and mobility to aspirations, mental well-being and health, social protection, climate change, social cohesion and norms. Renos is also actively involved in leveraging technology and innovation to scale evidence-based behavioral solutions in addressing development challenges and knowledge diffusion. He also contributes to the wider adoption of behavioral science through advisory roles with various institutions, alongside his university teaching commitments.

He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.