Isabella Dobrescu

Professor Isabella Dobrescu is Head of the School of Economics at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Business School and co-chair of the STEP UP initiative in Education. She serves as an editor for the Journal of Pension Economics & Finance and maintains an active research program spanning labor economics, public finance, health economics, and applied econometrics.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Economics with Honors from the University of Padua (2009), an M.Sc. in Economic Mathematical Modeling Summa cum Laude from West University of Timisoara (2005), and dual bachelor's degrees in Economics from Nottingham Trent University and Finance Summa cum Laude from West University of Timisoara (2003).

Dobrescu's research has evolved from structural work on consumption and saving dynamics to pioneering applications combining theory, empirical analysis, and randomized controlled trials to improve educational outcomes through technology. Her recent work focuses on financial literacy interventions for high school students through the STEP UP program, while maintaining her longstanding research on aging populations, retirement decision-making, and risk behavior.

Her publication portfolio demonstrates consistent output across labor economics, health economics, and applied econometrics, with recent emphasis on educational technology interventions and financial decision-making in retirement contexts. The research shows methodological diversity spanning structural modeling, nonparametric partial identification techniques, and experimental approaches.

• UNSW Business School Research Impact Award (2021)
• UNSW President's Award for Building Collaborations (2019)
• UNSW Scientia Education Fellowship (2017)
• Australian Government Office of Learning & Teaching Citation (2016)
• ARC Early Career Research Fellowship (2012)

Dobrescu has secured over AU$2.5 million in competitive research funding since 2010, including major ARC Linkage grants and substantial UNSW strategic investments. She leads the STEP UP initiative which has received over AU$650,000 in funding for financial literacy outreach programs. Her collaborative approach is evident in numerous multi-investigator projects with colleagues including Bateman, Thorp, Motta, and Newell across economics, finance, and education domains.

As Head of the School of Economics and co-chair of STEP UP, Dobrescu leads research teams focused on educational interventions using technology, retirement decision-making, and the economics of aging. Her Playconomics platform represents a significant innovation in experiential economics education, receiving media coverage from major outlets including The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian.