Current Positions
Since Oct. 2021: Professor of Economics, Department of Economics and Social Research Institute, University College London.
Since May 2022: Associate Editor at Health Economics.
Since Feb. 2022: J-PAL ESII Invited Researcher.
Since Dec. 2020: Research Fellow, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
Since July 2020: Associate Editor at the Journal of Health Economics.
Since June 2019: JPAL-LAC Invited Researcher.
Since Feb. 2019: Research Fellow, IZA (Institute of Labor Economics), Bonn.
Since Jan. 2015: Research Fellow, Institute for Fiscal Studies, London, U.K.
Since Jan. 2018: Fellow, Global Labor Organization.
Since Nov. 2016: Honorary Research Fellow, Cardiff University.
Since 2015: Trustee, Foundation Years Information and Research.
Since 2011: Member of the Human Capital and Economic Opportunity (HCEO) Group, University of Chicago.
Previous Positions
Feb. 2016 – Oct. 2021: Associate Professor of Economics (with tenure), Department of Economics and Social Research Institute, University College London. Co-Investigator, National Child Development Study.
Oct. 2015-Feb. 2016: Reader in Health Economics, Department of Applied Health Research, University College London.
Oct. 2013-2015: Senior Lecturer in Health Economics, Department of Applied Health Research, University College London.
2013-2015: Research Fellow, USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research.
2013-2015: Research Affiliate, Population Research Center, University of Chicago.
2013-2014: Research Associate, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
2011-2015: Honorary Research Fellow, School of Social and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bristol.
2011-2015: Visiting Scientist, Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Division, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton, U.K.
2011-2014: Faculty Research Fellow, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Children and Health Economics Programs.
2011-Oct. 2013: Research Associate (Assistant Professor), Irving B. Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago.
Jan. 2013: Visiting Fellow, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Center for Health and Wellbeing, Princeton University.
2009-2013: Research Associate, Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER), University of Essex.
2008-2011: Post-Doctoral Scholar, Department of Economics, University of Chicago. Mentor: Prof. James J. Heckman.
2006-2008: Lecturer, Department of Economics, University of Essex.
Education
2003-2008: Ph.D. in Economics, University of Essex. Supervisors: Prof. S.E. Pudney and Dr. A. Gosling. Thesis title: “Training, cognition and addiction: A microeconometric analysis”. Internal examiner: Prof. A. Booth. External examiner: Prof. W. Arulampalam (University of Warwick).
2000-2004: Research Doctorate in Economics, University of Napoli “Federico II”.
2002-2003: MSc in Economics, University of Essex. Awarded with Merit.
2001-2002: Postgraduate Diploma in Economics, University of Essex. Awarded with Distinction.
2001: Course in Essential Statistics for Economics and Econometrics (Grade: A), LSE Summer School.
2000: Courses in Introductory Microeconomics (Grade: A+) and Introductory Macroeconomics (Grade: A), LSE Summer School.
1994-1999: Laurea (B.Sc.) in Law, University of Napoli “Federico II”. Grade: 110/110 summa cum laude.
1989-1994: Maturita’ Classica (Classical High School Degree). Grade: 60/60.
Honours and Awards
Top 3% Female Economists, Last 10 Years Publications. Top 6% Economists, Last 10 Years Publications. Top 5% Female Economists Overall.
03/2023 RES Easter Training School.
10/2022 Institute of Government & Public Policy’s virtual event entitled ‘Advancing Menopause Policy In The Workplace’ (Virtual).*
06/2022 Canadian National Perinatal Research Meeting (Virtual).*
05/2022 Economics and History of Health Crises Workshop, Centre for Health and Centre for Economic History, Queen’s University Belfast (declined for competing commitments).
2021: Keynote Speaker, Workshop on Children in out-of-home care, University of Copenhagen.
Sept. 2020: Keynote Speaker, Institute of Health Visiting Annual Conference.
Oct. 2019: Philip Leverhulme Prize in Economics, which “recognises the achievement of outstanding researchers whose work has already attracted international recognition and whose future career is exceptionally promising.”
Oct. 2019: Plenary Nick Hales Award Lecture, DOHaD Society World Congress
2019: Nick Hales Award from the DOHaD society, awarded every two years to “a young and emerging investigator who has made an outstanding scientific contribution to the DOHaD field”
2019-2024: ERC Consolidator Award
2015-2019: British Academy Newton Advanced Fellowship
Since June 2019: JPAL-LAC Invited Researcher.
Since February 2019: Research Fellowship, IZA
Since Jan. 2014: Research Fellowship, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
May 2019: Keynote Speaker, Workshop “The Social Gradient in Human Capital”, University of Uppsala.
August 2018: Keynote Speaker, Nordic Health Economist Study Group (NHESG), University of Tromso.
Nov. 2016: Honorary Research Fellowship, Cardiff University. Keynote Speaker, “Socioeconomic differences and health later in life” Conference, University of Groningen.
Oct. 2016: Keynote Speaker, “The Power of Programming” Conference, Munich; and “Health and Gender” Workshop, University of Essex.
Dec. 2015: Keynote Speaker, National Congress of the Italian Society of Perinatal Medicine, Assisi.
Since Nov. 2015: Trustee, FYIR (Foundation Years Information and Research), President Karen Buck MP, Honorary President Frank Field MP.
Nov. 2014: Invited speaker to Portcullis House, House of Commons, UK Parliament, FYIR/APPG (Foundation Years Information and Research/ All-Party Parliamentary Group for Conception to Age Two – The First 1001 Days) critical days seminar. Introduction by Dame Tessa Jowell MP.
Nov. 2014: Keynote Speaker, DOHaD French Society Conference, Nantes.
Nov. 2013: Keynote Speaker, DOHaD World Congress, Singapore.
Apr. 2013: Keynote Speaker, `Rethinking Barker’ Health Conference, University of Duisburg-Essen.
Jan. 2013: Visiting Fellow, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Center for Health and Wellbeing, Princeton University. Host: Prof. Janet Currie.
2011-2013: Faculty Research Fellow, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Children and Health Economics Programs.
2012-2013: Member of the NIA-sponsored “Network on Reversibility”.
Since 2010: Member of the Human Capital and Economic Opportunity (HCEO) Global Working Group, University of Chicago.
2010: ESWC Travel Grant.
2009: Keynote Speaker, CDC Steven M. Teutsch Prevention Effectiveness (PE) Fellowship Graduation Luncheon.
2004: Graduate Teaching Special Commendation, Department of Economics, University of Essex.
2003-2006: Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) PhD Scholarship.
2000-2002: University of Napoli “Federico II” Doctorate Scholarship.
Talks
(excluding presentations by co-authors)
2023 Australian Health and Human Capital Economics Seminar (AHHCES) series (virtual)
Bocconi University
King’s College London
Newcastle University
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (TBC)
UCLA
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
University of Bergamo
University of Bologna
University of St. Andrews
2022 Aarhus University
European University Institute (EUI)
HM Treasury
IFS-UCL-LSE/STICERD DevEcon WIP
Institut d’Economia de Barcelona (IEB)
Nova School of Business and Economics
NYU Abu Dhabi
UCL IGH (X2)
Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona
University of Berlin
University of Innsbruck
University Katholik of Leuven (KULeuven, unable to take up)
University of Copenhagen
University of Oxford
University of Stavanger (unable to take up)
University of Zurich
2021 ASSA IHEA session on “Impact of COVID-19 information and policies on risk perceptions, preventive behaviors and pro-social behavior”, Copenhagen workshop on foster care and child maltreatment (Keynote), University of California in Santa Barbara, University of Glasgow, University of Leuven, IZA Bonn, DIW Berlin, Aarhus University, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Evidence and Implementation Summit (invited panelist), FDCO Economics Seminar Series, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Venice Expert Forum “Why investing in Maternal, Newborn and Child Health is critical to global recovery post COVID-19”, University of Bergen.
2020 University of Cambridge, Catholique University of Louvain, University of Surrey, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission’s Competence Centre on Microeconomics Evaluation, iHV Evidence-based Practice conference: “Creating Healthy Children, 2020” (invited plenary), Interdisciplinary conference on coronavirus and childhood “Rainbows in our windows” (invited speaker), NBER Health Economics group, University of Lancaster, University of Southampton (postponed), Econometric Society World Congress, “Practitioner wellbeing and the built environment in Early Childhood Education and Care setting” (invited discussant), GSE Barcelona Summer Forum Workshop “Child Health, Well-Being and Human Capital Formation”, UENPS/Ipokrates 2020 Seminar on Covid-19, FYIR seminar.
2019 ASSA iHEA session “Impact of Health System Reforms”, Second World Congress on Maternal Fetal Neonatal Medicine (invited speaker), University of Strathclyde, Uppsala Workshop “The Social Gradient in Human Capital” (invited keynote speaker), Global FIGO-DOHaD-WHO Forum on “Economic Crisis, Women’s Health and DOHaD Consequences” (invited speaker), Universidade de São Paulo, PUC Rio, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, University of Amsterdam, University of Lund (cancelled), Royal Economic Society Conference, FYIR Seminar (Portcullis House, Westminster), First 1001 Critical Days APPG seminar (Westminster, invited speaker), iHEA Conference (invited speaker), “Health Economics for Translational Research” Workshop (invited speaker), iHV Perinatal and Infant Mental Health annual conference (invited speaker), Health Economics Initiative’s Annual Conference BFI at the University of Chicago, Copenhagen workshop “The importance of early-life circumstances: Shocks, parents and policies” (invited speaker), University of Southampton Applied Microeconomics Workshop (invited speaker), University of Essex MiSoC Applied Microeconomics Workshop (invited speaker), IGSS Integrating Genetics and the Social Sciences conference, DOHaD World Congress (invited session speaker and plenary speaker), University of Melbourne, University of Sidney, Western Sidney University, Southern Economic Association (invited speaker), The College of William & Mary, John Hopkins University.
2018 NBER Summer Institute Children’s Group, Nordic Health Economist Study Group (invited keynote speaker), Workshop “Information and Health Behaviour” (invited panel speaker), Queen Mary University of London, 1st UCL Health Economics Workshop, University of Venezia Ca’ Foscari, NBER Trans-Atlantic Public Economics Seminar, XXVI European Congress of Perinatal Medicine (invited speaker), IX IBEO Health Economics Alghero workshop, GSE Barcelona Summer Forum Workshop “Child Health, Well-Being and Human Capital Formation”, NYU Abu Dhabi, IZA/CEPR European Summer Symposium in Labour Economics (ESSLE), Workshop on Labour and Family Economics in York (WOLFE), Econometric Society Winter Meeting.
2017 First World Congress on Maternal Fetal Neonatal Medicine (invited speaker), 9th International Symposium on “Diabetes, Hypertension, Metabolic Syndrome and Pregnancy” (invited speaker), York University, Social Mobility Commission Workshop “Left behind Britain: Narrowing the social mobility divide” (invited speaker), Royal Economic Society Conference (invited session), Le Grand Forum de Tout Petits (invited speaker), University of Bonn, University of Surrey, University of Rome Tor Vergata, IHEA World Congress, NBER Summer Institute (Health Group), Odense Workshop “Medical Interventions and Socio-Economic Outcomes” (invited), AIEL (Italian Association of Labour Economists) annual conference.
2016 “Health and Gender” Workshop at the University of Essex (keynote), ECD conference at EDePo, “The Power of Programming” Conference in Munich (keynote), International Congress of Obesity in Toronto (invited expert, declined for competing commitments), Early Intervention Foundation Conference (invited expert), University of Manchester, 4th Toulouse Economics and Biology Workshop, Economics of the Family Workshop at Notre-Dame Campus in London, University of Toronto, GOEK Essen Conference on “New Frontiers in the Economics of Fertility”, Barcelona GSE Summer Forum Children Workshop, Global Conference on “Maternal Infant Health” in Florence (invited expert), University of Groningen conference “Socioeconomic differences and health later in life” (keynote, declined for competing commitment).
2015 CIREQ Montreal Applied Economics Conference, EALE/SOLE meetings, ESEM meetings, EDePo workshop “Improving productivity in developing countries”, NBER Cohort Studies Group meeting, Pint of Science Festival, University of Bergen, University of Bristol, University of Stirling, University of Toulouse, University of Warwick Workshop in Labour Economics, GOEK Essen Conference on “New Frontiers in Education and Health”, Social and Behavioural Epigenetics Workshop, National Congress of the Italian Society of Perinatal Medicine (keynote), 5th OECD World Forum on Statistics, Knowledge and Policy (invited expert, declined due to competing commitments), Workshop on “Frontiers in the Economics of Education” (invited expert), “Public Health and Nutrition Economics: the numbers behind prevention?” European Commission workshop (invited expert, declined due to competing commitments).
2014 London School of Economics (CEP), Duke University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Southern California (CESR), Northwestern University, University of California in San Diego, University of Sussex, University of Essex (ISER), Centre for the Evaluation of Development Policies (EDePo at IFS) seminar, Institute of Education, London, NBER Cohort Studies Group Meeting, NBER Summer Institute Health Group Meeting, GOEK Conference “Rethinking Barker: Developing economic perspectives of how early life factors shape later life outcomes” (keynote speaker), meeting “Child wellbeing, development and disability in Mexico: Creating a knowledge base for future research and policymaking”, Central Bank of Mexico, Organizational workshop “Health and Economic Development Lab” at the University of Chicago Law School, HCEO conference “Genetics and Behavior”, ASSA meetings (1 talk, X2 discussant), European Economic Association meeting, Conference on the “Socio-Economic Determinants of Health” at the University of Edinburgh, NIH/OBSSR Workshop “New Frontiers – Education and Health”, IOM Workshop “Health and Education – Working Together for Common Goals” (declined for overlapping commitment), American Enterprise Institute ”Closing the gaps in health outcomes: Alternative paths forward”, “Multistate Models: Bridging Biostatistics, Demography and Econometrics” workshop at the University of Leiden (declined for overlapping commitment), first ESRC/BBSRC/NIH/NSF Social and Behavioral Epigenetics Workshop, Nuffield Foundation workshop “Improving Outcomes in Early Years Education and Childcare: What’s the Evidence?” (invited participant), IEU Workshop on “Instrumental Variables and Related Methods” at the University of Bristol (invited participant), Annual Health Econometrics Workshop (AHEW, discussant), “Beyond Birthweight” Workshop at the University of Sussex, ESRC Festival of Social Sciences, London Health Economics Group (LHEG), DOHaD French Society Second Meeting (keynote speaker), FYIR/APPG critical days seminar in Portcullis House at the House of Commons (UK Parliament), Workshop “Public Services in Developing Countries” at the University of Bristol, University of Uppsala, University of Lund, Erasmus University Rotterdam.
2013 Princeton University, SRCD biennial meeting, NBER Cohort Studies Group, NBER Summer Institute, NIA Reversibility Network Meetings, NICHD Workshop “Nature and Nurture: Genetic and Environmental Influences on Children’s Responses to Adversity”, Harris School of Public Policy Alumni Workshop, DOHaD conference (one talk + keynote speaker), Columbia University Epidemiology Scientific Symposium (CUESS), Institute for Fiscal Studies Workshop “Human Capital and Lifecycle Behavior”, UCL Early Childhood Development Workshop.
2012 RAND, BFI Conference “The Biological Basis of Economic Preferences and Behavior”, Grantmakers In Health (GIH) Annual Meeting on Health Philanthropy, NIH workshop “Improving Animal Models of Human Behavioral and Social Processes”, ASSA meetings.
2011 University of Zurich, INET Young Scholar Initiative, MFI Conference “Individuals and Institutions in the Health Care Sector”, University of Hawaii, NBER Cohort Studies Meeting, ICREA-MOVE Conference on Family Economics, EALE Annual Conference, NICHD Vision Conference on Behavior, ASSA meetings.
2010 Chicago Fed, University of Bristol, University of Chicago, UNICEF ECD Global Network Meeting, NBER China Working Group Meeting, National Academy of Science, University of Auckland, Workshop “The Biological Basis of Behavioral Economics”, University of Essex, CELSE Conference, Econometric Society World Congress, ASHE Conference, EALE-SOLE Conference, Conference “Understanding ageing: Health, wealth and wellbeing at fifty and beyond”, AMERB Meeting, ASSA meetings.
Funding (since 2013)
2020-2024 ESRC/GCRF UKRI grant for the project “Improving the Quality of Universal Home Visiting: The case of Creciendo con Nuestros Hijos (CNH) in Ecuador”. Role: PI. Co-Is: Zelee Hill and Tatiana Paredes. Budget: £1,233,946. Grant Ref: ES/T004169/1.
2022-2024 NIHR PRP Grant for the project “Evaluation and co-creation to optimise use and benefits of the Healthy Start Scheme”. Role: Co-I. Budget (at UCL): £24,470 (out of total £863,787).
2019-2024 European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Award (SH1 Economics Panel) for the project “The Developmental Origins of Health: Biology, Shocks, Investments, and Policies” (DEVORHBIOSHIP). Role: PI. Budget: Euros 1,738,763.
2019-2024 H2020 grant for the project “Dynamic longitudinal exposome trajectories in cardiovascular and metabolic Non-communicable diseases” (LONGITOOLS). Role: co-PI. PI: Sylvain Sebert (Oulu). UCL Budget: Euros 729,781. Total budget: Euros 11,997,448.
2019-2023 £100,000 Philip Leverhulme Prize for the project “Health Visiting in the United Kingdom”.
2020-2023 Nuffield Foundation Grant for the project “A comprehensive evaluation of the short- and medium-term impacts of Sure Start”. Role: Co-I. Budget: £181,623.
2019-2023 Nuffield Foundation Grant for the project “What Works in Prenatal Home Visiting Programmes”. Role: PI. Budget: £202,633.
COMPLETED
2018-2021 NORFACE DIAL grant for the project “Growing up Unequal? The Origins, Dynamics and Lifecycle Consequences of Childhood Inequalities”. Role: co-PI with K. Salvanes (NHH) and M. Gurgand (PSE). IFS budget: Euros 592,745. Total budget: Euros 1,484,315.
2015-2020 Nuffield Foundation grant for the project “The Health Effects of Early Interventions: Evidence from Sure Start”. Role: PI. Total budget: £143,000+£30,000.
2019-2020 Frontiers of Development GCRF Seed Funding from the Royal Academy of Engineering on “New methods to measure child-caregiver interactions”. PI: Caspar Addyman (Goldsmiths). Role: co-I. Budget: £19,447.
2019-2020 UCL Grand Challenges Small Grants Scheme “Using co-design to investigate the preventative and enabling factors towards child’s play in outdoor spaces in urban host communities”. Role: PI. Co-I: Marie Williams (UCL). Budget: £7,500.
2018-2020 Health Foundation Grant for the project “The Economic and Social Value of Health”. Role: co-I. Total budget: £349,621.
2018-2020 NIA/NIH grant for the project “Polygenic scores computation and analysis in the National Child Development Study”, 3R01AG052519-02S1. Role: PI. Budget: $117,924.
2018-2020 ESRC Research Grant for the project “Childhood psychological health in NCDS: legacy data project to digitize the Bristol Social Adjustment Guide” (co-PI with A. Goodman). Budget: £278,665.
2018-2022 “Healthy transitions from mid-life to early older age: biomedical follow-up of 1958 British Cohort Study members at age 60”, $1,618,270 from the National Institute on Aging/National Institute of Health (NIA/NIH). Role: co-I.
2017-2021 “National Child Development Study Wave 10”, £294,177 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Role: co-I.
2017-2021 “Biomedical follow-up of 1958 Birth Cohort Study members at age 60”, £1,125,574 from the Medical Research Council (MRC). Role: co-I.
COMPLETED
2019-2020 International Growth Centre grant for the project “The Indian Health Insurance Experiment”. PI: A. Malani. Role: co-I with C. Kynnan and A. Voena. Budget: £94,530.
2019-2020 Seed funding from the UCL “Cities Partnerships Programme: Rome Funds” for the project “The impact of maternal labor protection on pregnancy outcomes and infant health”, in collaboration with V. Atella and J. Kopinska (U. Tor Vergata) and M. Lindeboom (U. of Amsterdam). Budget: £3.5k.
2019 Seeding and Harvesting Research – Small Grants UCL SHS for the project “Subjective Health Returns to Lifestyles”, in collaboration with P. Giustinelli (Bocconi). Budget: £2k.
2018-2019 BA/Leverhulme Trust Small Research Grant for the project “Fostering inmates’ well-being and mental health through meditation: a prison pilot” (PI F. Cornaglia). Role: co-I with I. Rasul, F. Cornaglia, V. Oppedisano, J. Jackson and D. Parsons). Budget: £9,990.
2018-2019 UCL Grand Challenges Small Grant for the project “Boosting positive development in adolescence: a pilot study on meditation in school”. Role: co-PI with P. Fearon (UCL Brain Sciences). Co-Is: F. Cornaglia, V. Oppedisano, D. Parson and I. Rasul. Budget: £3,990.
2019 Seed funding from the UCL “Cities Partnerships Programme: Rome Funds” for the project “Policy Options to Reduce the Burden of Disease in England: A Dynamic Microsimulation Model”, in collaboration with V. Atella and A. Mortari (U. of Tor Vergata). Budget: £5k.
2019 CAF (Development Bank of Latin America) grant for the project “The Value of Free Health Insurance Schemes in Developing Countries” (co-PI with R. Narita). Budget: USD $15,000.
2018-2019 CLOSER Innovation Fund grant for the project “Assessment and harmonisation of cognitive measures in British birth cohorts”. Role: co-I. Total budget: £134,427.
2015-2019 “Understanding the Dynamic determinants of glucose homeostasis and psychosocial capability to promote Healthy and active ageing (DynaHEALTH), Euros 5,917,266 from Horizon 2020. Role: co-I.
2015-2019 British Academy Newton Advanced Fellowship for the project “Equilibrium labor market effects of non-contributory health insurance: Evidence from Mexico”. Role: co-PI with Renata Narita (University of Sao Paulo). Total budget: £40,810 GBP.
2014-2018 “Understanding the effects of introducing and expanding a universal health insurance program in medium-income countries: Lessons from Mexico”, 2,952,000 SEK from the Swedish Research Council. Role: co-PI with Rita Ginja (University of Bergen).
2015-2017 “INTERpreting epigenetic signatures in STudies of Early Life Adversity (InterStELA)”, early and mid-career researchers network co-sponsored by BBSRC/ESRC. Role: co-I. PI: Laura Howe, University of Bristol. Total budget: £198,285.
2015–2017 “Prenatal Under Nutrition and Mortality Through Age 63”, $365,860 from NIA/NIH. Role: co-I. PI: L.H. Lumey (Columbia University).
2016 Centre for the Economic Analysis of Public Policy (CPP) small grant for the project “The Long-Term Effects of Child Care: Evidence from Britain”. Role: co-PI with Sarah Cattan (IFS). Total budget: £10,000.
2016-2017 The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust grant for the project “The Production of Child Development: Evidence from the Family Nurse Partnership”. Role: PI. Total budget: £20,000.
2015-2016 National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) grant for the project “The long-term economic consequences of child maltreatment in the UK”. Role: PI. Total budget: £38,000.
2015 “Impact Evaluation of a Public Health Insurance Plan in India: Post Health Event Survey Pilot”, £32,338 from the International Growth Centre. Role: co-I with A. Malani, A. Voena and R. Laxamariyan. PI: Cynthia Kinnan (Northwestern University).
Refereeing Activity
Economics Journals: American Economic Journals-Applied, American Economic Review, American Journal of Health Economics, Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Economica, Economic Journal, Economic Letters, Economics Bulletin, Economics of Education Review, Education Economics, European Economic Review, European Journal of Health Economics, Economic Inquiry, Economics and Human Biology, Fiscal Studies, Health Economics, Industrial Relations, International Economic Review, Journal of Applied Econometrics, Journal of Development Economics, Journal of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Journal of the European Economic Association, Journal of Economic Inequality, Journal of Economic Surveys, Journal of Health Economics, Journal of Human Capital, Journal of Human Resources, Journal of Labor Economics, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Journal of Political Economy, Journal of Population Economics, Journal of Public Economics, Labour Economics, Milbank Quarterly, Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Oxford Economic Papers, Quantitative Economics, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Review of Economics and Statistics, Review of Economics of the Household, Review of Economic Dynamics, Review of Economic Studies, Southern Economic Journal, World Development.
Non-Economics Journals: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, American Sociological Review, Archives of General Psychiatry, Behavior Research Methods, BMC Medicine, BMC Public Health, Child Development, Children and Youth Services Review, Demography, Early Childhood Research Quarterly, International Journal of Drug Policy, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, International Journal of Epidemiology, International Journal of Microsimulation, International Journal of Public Opinion Research, JAMA Pediatrics, The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine, Journal of Population Ageing, The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Nature Communications, Plos One, Population Research and Policy Review, Population Studies, Science, Social Science and Medicine, Sustainability.
Funding bodies: British Academy, CEDIL, Danida Fellowship Centre, Danish Council for Independent Research, Economic and Social Research Council, European Research Council, Icelandic Research Fund, Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, Nuffield Foundation, World Bank, Agence Nationale de la Recherche.
PhD Thesis Examiner: University College London; Universita’ Cattolica, Milan, Italy; University of Oxford.
Organizational Activities
2020 RES (Royal Economic Society) Conference Programme Committee; GSE Barcelona Summer Forum Workshop on “Children, Well-Being and Human Capital Formation” Scientific Committee; Annual Meeting of the Society of Household Economics (SEHO) Scientific Committee; IHEA Conference Submissions Reviewer; LACEA Health Economics Workshop Scientific Committee.
2019 RES (Royal Economic Society) Conference Programme Committee; Co-organiser of RES session on “The Health Effects of Child Care”; Co-organiser of presidential session on “Genes, environments and life outcomes” at the Southern Economic Association Conference; Co-organiser and co-chair in the Frontiers of Development Symposium (Royal Academy of Engineering and GCRF) “Inclusivity and Wellbeing in the First 2000 Days of Life” symposium, session “Thrive”.
2018 “Health and Labour” Workshop at UCL Scientific and Local Organizing Committee; RES (Royal Economic Society) Conference Programme Committee; NCDS at 60 Conference Scientific and Local Organizing Committee; GSE Barcelona Summer Forum Workshop on “Children, Well-Being and Human Capital Formation” Scientific Committee; 1st UCL Health Economics Workshop Organizing Committee.
June 2017 Member of the Scientific Committee, “Health and Labour. Economic modeling of how health and human capital interact in a changing world” conference at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.
May 2016 Member of the Scientific Committee, “New Economic Perspectives on Fertility” conference at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.
May 2015 Member of the Scientific Committee, “Health. Skills. Education. New Economic Perspectives on the Health-Education Nexus” conference at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. Member of the Organizing Committee, workshop on “Evaluating the Impact of the Infant Toddler Centers and Preschools on Children: The Reggio Approach” in Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Nov. 2013 Member of the Scientific Committee, 8th World Congress on Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) in Singapore.
Sept. 2011 Co-Organizer (with Burton Singer), NIA-sponsored Workshop “The Role of Genetic and Environmental Factors across the Lifecourse: Improving the Rigor of Causal Inference”, Chicago, IL, U.S.
Jan. 2011 Co-Organizer (with Daniela Del Boca), American Economic Association Annual Meeting, Session “Household Behavior and Child Outcomes”, Denver, CO, U.S.
2010-2012 Co-Founder and Junior Coordinator, INET-sponsored “Health Inequality Network” (hosted by the Becker Friedman Institute at the University of Chicago).
Questionnaire Design and Data Collection
· I have (co-)designed questionnaires for the following studies:
o “Parents and children during the Covid-19 pandemic” (UK, June 2020-)
o “Evaluating the impacts of Covid-19 on Health Visiting in the UK” (UK, June 2020-)
o “Perceived Costs and Benefits of COVID-19 Social Distancing Measures and Compliance Behaviours” (UK and Italy, May 2020-)
o “Boosting positive development in adolescence: a pilot study on meditation in school” (London, 2019)
o “Subjective Health Returns to Lifestyles” (US, 2019)
o “Biomedical follow-up of 1958 Birth Cohort Study members at age 60” (UK, 2018-2019)
o “The Indian Health Insurance Experiment” (India, 2013-2019; includes a biomarker module)
o “Updating, Expanding, and Interpreting Perry Preschool Data through Midlife” (US, 2012-2013)
o “Evaluating the Impact of the Infant Toddler Centers and Preschools on Children: The Reggio Approach” (Italy, 2012-2015)
· I have conducted primary data collection for the following projects:
o “Parents and children during the Covid-19 pandemic” (UK, June 2020-)
o “Evaluating the impacts of Covid-19 on Health Visiting in the UK” (UK, June 2020-)
o “Perceived Costs and Benefits of COVID-19 Social Distancing Measures and Compliance Behaviours” (UK and Italy, May 2020-)
o “Boosting positive development in adolescence: a pilot study on meditation in school” (London, 2019)
o “Subjective Health Returns to Lifestyles” (MTurk US, 2019)
o “The Indian Health Insurance Experiment” (India, 2013-2019)
o “The Biology of Child Development: DNA Experimental Evidence from Colombia” (Colombia): processing of DNA data
o “Evaluating the Impact of the Infant Toddler Centers and Preschools on Children: The Reggio Approach” (Italy, 2012-2015)
Teaching Experience
2017-2021 Economic Policy Analysis, 3rd year elective module in the Department of Economics at University College London. Two sessions on health capital and early interventions.
Nov. 2019 Invited lecture on “Maternal and Child Health” in the core module “Key Concepts in Global Health” for the UG programme in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at King’s College London.
2013 Guest Lecturer – Session on “The Developmental Origins of Health Inequality” at the second Summer School on Socioeconomic Inequality, organized by the Human Capital and Economic Opportunity (HCEO) Working Group at the University of Chicago.
2010-2013 Guest Lecturer – Session on “The Developmental Origins of Health Inequality” at the Ph.D.-level course taught by James Heckman on lifecycle inequality at the University of Chicago.
2011-2012 Lecturer – The Economics of Health (undergraduate), Department of Economics, University of Chicago, U.S. (Winter Quarter)
2006-2008 Lecturer – Topics in Labour Economics (postgraduate); Introduction to Quantitative Economics (undergraduate); Introduction to Econometric Methods (undergraduate), University of Essex, U.K.
2006 Instructor – PhD course on “Panel Data for Social Scientists”, University of Bergen, Norway.
2004-2006 Teaching Fellow – “Analysing Panel Data: An Introduction”, Essex Summer School in SSDA (Social Science and Data Analysis), University of Essex, U.K.
2005 Graduate Teaching Assistant – Econometric Methods and Applications and Stata Tutorials (postgraduate), University of Essex, U.K.
2004-2005 Graduate Teaching Assistant – Econometric Methods and Applications and Stata Tutorials (postgraduate), and Intermediate Microeconomics (UG), University of Essex, U.K.
2003-2004 Graduate Teaching Assistant – Intermediate Microeconomics (UG), University of Essex, U.K.
Engagement Activities/ Knowledge Transfer
As trustee of the Foundation Years Information and Research (FYIR), I interact with practitioners and policy makers to help translating the best research evidence into policy, and engage in international exchanges.
November 2019: I was part of the FYIR delegation (one of two academics) invited by the French Ministerial Working Group at the Ministry of the Solidarity and Health to advise on the shape of President Macron’s new initiative for 2020, Parcours les 1000 Premiers Jours.
January 2018: I was part of the delegation to the State of Saarland in Germany, where we met with local representatives from the government and the early programme KFDN (Keiner fällt durchs Netz), to exchange knowledge and expertise on early childhood interventions.
I have given presentations on my research in several different outlets to policy makers and practitioners.
June 2020: within the DIAL NORFACE project I presented the GUODLCCI research on the causes and consequences of childhood disadvantages and how these can be addressed in Europe in front of representatives from the European Commission’s Social affairs unit (DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) and Evidence-based policy and evaluation unit (DG Education, Youth, Sport and Culture).
September 2019 and 2020: I have given plenary talks at the Institute of Health Visiting annual conference, in front of an audience with delegations of health visitors and public health professional from the whole UK.
June 2019: launch of the Sure Start report, in front of a multidisciplinary audience made of academic, policymakers and practitioners.
February 2019: I gave a remark on the lifelong returns to early childhood interventions to Members of the European Parliament and the EU Health Counsellor within the final meeting of the DynaHEALTH project.
November 2014 and February 2019: I have given two invited seminars to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) 1001 Days.
February 2016: I took part in the Building Blocks Stakeholder Post-dissemination Event, in which I gave a seminar on the possible options for the future of the programme, with representatives from Public Health England and the Department of Health in attendance, in addition to health and early childhood practitioners.
I have interacted with Members of the British Parliament on health and early childhood topics in multiple occasions.
February 2019: I have presented “The Health Economics of Early Interventions” at the UCL event “Health Economics for Translational Research”, in front of an audience of students from different disciplinary backgrounds.
November 2020: I have also been invited to give motivational talks to high school students in the Notting Hill and Ealing High School.
I routinely engage with developers and implementers of early intervention programmes in UK and abroad, to help them evaluating and adapting them effectively: for example, I have an ongoing (since 2015) collaboration with the Family Nurse Partnership National Unit in UK, I have advised the multi-million multi-site Better Start programme on a re-design of their evaluation strategy, and I have recently started a collaboration with the Ecuador government (Ministry of Education) to prevent/reduce the developmental losses from the COVID-19 pandemic in preschoolers.
As part of the Preconception Partnership (stakeholder group to promote the importance of the preconception period), we have submitted a response to the consultation “Call for Evidence – halting Type 2 Diabetes Consultation”.
As part of the IHEA Special Interest Group on the Economics of Obesity, we have submitted a response to the consultation “Restricting promotions of products high in fat, sugar and salt by location and by price”.
Lead CLS submission to the House of Commons Education Committee Inquiry on Life Chances. http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/education-committee/life-chances/written/83820.html
Lead CLS submission to the House of Commons Science and Technology Inquiry on Evidence-Based Early Interventions. http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/science-and-technology-committee/evidencebased-early-years-intervention/written/75360.html