Dr. Gokce Baykal focuses on the political economy of social protection programmes. She is interested particularly in analysing social protection programs, gender issues, and, more recently, humanitarian aid provision programs. Her doctoral dissertation delved into the political and social impacts of conditional cash transfers on impoverished Kurdish and Roma women in Turkey. She received her PhD in Political Science from Rutgers University, USA.

She is still an affiliated researcher at King’s College International Development Department in London. She holds a Master's degree in Politics from New York University.