Francis Annan's research centers on development economics and microeconomic issues, with a focus on digital financial markets, insurance, and firms in sub-Saharan Africa, India, and the United States. Francis received his PhD in Sustainable Development (Economics Track) from Columbia University in 2018.

Professor Annan is a J-PAL Affiliated Professor at MIT, the Scientific Lead and Co-Chair of the Retail Finance Distribution (ReFinD) Research Initiative at ISSER, and a Fellow at the Center for Development Economics and Policy (CDEP) and the Center for Environmental Economics and Policy (CEEP). Prior to UC Berkeley, Francis was an Assistant Professor of Economics, Risk, and Insurance at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University.