Rute holds a position as researcher at the Brazilian Federal Government´s Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA, Rio de Janeiro office) and as Professor at Positivo University (Curitiba). At present, she is developing a Senior Post-Doctoral project at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro´s Institute of Urban and Regional Research and Planning (IPPUR-UFRJ).

Her academic background is in economics. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economic Science from the University of São Paulo (USP), a Master’s Degree in Political Economy from the University of Campinas (Unicamp), and a PhD in Political Economy from the University of Siena, Italy (Unisi).

Since 2001, Rute has been studying precarious neighbourhoods in Brazilian metropolitan areas, focusing mainly on two fields: precarious housing (slums) and urban violence. Her approach to these issues is from the standpoint of social policies and citizenship rights – comprehending a broad set of policies and their evolution over time.

Based in Rio de Janeiro, she has been working in partnership with scholars, research groups, activists and local public managers to conduct applied research to favelas and poor neighbourhoods, using both quantitative and qualitative tools.

Since 2014 she has been interested in developing international comparative studies on social housing. As a visiting researcher at Tulane University (Louisiana), she studied the United States’ public housing historical evolution, seeking to compare it with the Brazilian experience. At present, she is researching social housing in Britain and is especially interested in its historical patterns and citizenship issues.