I'm a trade economist and Research Associate (tenure-track) based at the Firms and Markets Department, DIW Berlin. My research investigates global supply chains, firm heterogeneity and the distributional implications of trade policy shocks. To study these issues, I analyse detailed transactions-level customs databases using modern econometric methods. 

I also teach international trade at the Hertie School in Berlin as a Guest Lecturer. In 2025, I was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Harvard Growth Lab and have been affiliated with the Trade Policy Research Center at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy since 2019. Over 2022-2023, I was awarded the Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellowship by the European University Institute to analyse the effect of sanctions on global trade networks. 

I completed my PhD in Economics (with distinction) from LMU Munich in 2022, funded by the EU's Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme. Prior to this, I worked as a Junior Economist with the Ifo Institute’s Center for International Economics and pursued the MPhil in Economics from University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar from India. 

You can reach out to me at schowdhry[at]diw.de and follow my latest commentary on trade policy on Bluesky @sonalichowdhry.bsky.social.