He completed his PhD on the topic of relationships between states and the economy in the regions of Russia at IMT Lucca (Italy). Between 2012 to 2017, Rochlitz worked as a post- doctoral fellow in Yekaterinburg and then as a junior professor in Moscow. During this time, he carried out research on the economic transformation processes in Russia and China. Most recently, he worked as a research fellow for two years at the LMU Munich. Within his research, Rochlitz investigates how political institutions influence economic developments and he places a special focus on ownership rights, bureaucratic incentive structures, industrial policy, and media censorship in Russia and China.