Zahra’s research focuses on understanding the drivers and constraints to effective public service delivery. Her research spans across South Asia and Africa across sectors such as education, agriculture, civil service reform, and evidence-based decision-making. Her current research focuses on two broad streams - the first focuses on the relationship between organisational practices (such as management practices of bureaucrats and delivery models) and frontline service delivery; and the second focuses on micro-level interventions to improve health, agriculture, and education outcomes. 

Zahra's research relies on a mix of experimental, quasi-experimental, and mixed-methods approaches.  Her research has been funded by the International Growth Center (IGC), Economic Development Institutions (EDI), World Bank, and the University of Oxford.

Prior to academia, Zahra held several research and policy roles at the Center for Economic Research in Pakistan, the World Bank, Innovations for Poverty Action, and the International Growth Center across Pakistan, Uganda, and the United Kingdom. Zahra holds a DPhil in Public Policy from the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, and an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.