Lucas Sempé

Lucas Sempé is a Senior Evaluation Specialist at the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie). In this role, he provides technical leadership and support across 3ie's portfolio of evidence synthesis products, including systematic reviews, evidence gap maps, and methodological innovations to improve the quality and uptake of evidence. 

Prior to joining 3ie, Lucas held research positions at Queen Margaret University (QMU) in the UK, where he led projects on health financing, access to care for neglected populations, and the evaluation of community-based interventions. He has also held a Visiting Fellow appointment at the University of Oxford's Department of Psychiatry, where he contributed to research on the well-being and mental health of school-aged children and young people.

Lucas brings a wealth of experience in policy-oriented research and evaluation, having previously worked at the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Housing in Peru. In these roles, he led performance-based budgeting programs and oversaw the design and implementation of large-scale educational and rural development initiatives. He has also served as an executive director at a non-profit organization focused on educational and health programmes and as a consultant on a range of health, social protection, and community-based projects. 

Academically, Lucas holds a PhD in International Development from the University of East Anglia, an MSc in Poverty Reduction from the University of London, and a Master's degree in Theology. His research has been published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, including The Lancet, Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, The International Journal for Equity in Health, and the Journal of Social Issues, among others. Lucas's work focuses on improving educational and health systems, understanding the links between mental health and education, and addressing the needs of older populations.