Benjamin J. Keys is a Research Associate at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School within the Public Economics program. His work focuses on public economics, environmental economics, and financial risk management with particular emphasis on housing markets and climate change impacts. University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School Public Economics Department His research explores: Climate risk capitalization in housing markets Mortgage insurance moral hazard Consumer credit card payment behaviors Emergency credit systems Regional economic redistribution through mortgages Email: benkeys@wharton.upenn.edu Scientific awards include: Fellowships on Consumer Financial Management
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in LausanneSwitzerland
Andreas Fuster is an Associate Professor of Finance and SFI Senior Chair at the Swiss Finance Institute (SFI) @ EPFL, and a Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). He previously worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Swiss National Bank, where he maintains a part-time research advisor role. His research focuses on empirical finance (household finance, real estate, banking, fintech), macroeconomics, and behavioral economics, with recent work examining technological advancements in credit markets. He teaches courses in financial engineering, macroeconomics, and financial econometrics at EPFL. As Director of the Doctoral Program in Finance at EPFL and academic co-director of the EPFL Executive Education Fintech program, he oversees academic development and executive training. His editorial roles include Associate Editor at the Review of Financial Studies and Journal of Financial Economics . Education: Ph.D. from Harvard University, M.Phil. from Oxford University, B.A. from University of Lausanne (all in economics). Research Interests: Empirical finance, macroeconomics, behavioral and experimental economics, fintech, mortgage markets, and banking regulation. External Roles: Co-organizer of the BIS-CEPR-SCG-SFI Conference on Financial Intermediation and SNB-CIF Conference on Cryptoassets and Financial Innovation. Grants & Awards: Recognition for contributions to financial stability and policy analysis (no specific awards listed). His work has been published in top journals such as the Quarterly Journal of Economics and Review of Financial Studies. He advises on sustainable digital finance through Innosuisse and contributes to policy analysis via CEPR and the Federal Reserve Bank of NY.
Alan M. Taylor is a prominent Research Fellow at National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) . He holds a permanent affiliation with Columbia University in the United States, where he contributes to economics research. His research spans financial history , macroeconomic policy , international trade , and capital market dynamics . Key themes include credit cycles , monetary policy , economic crises , and historical financial systems . He has extensively analyzed the trilemma of exchange rates, monetary policy, and capital mobility, and pioneered work on long-term rate of return data across capital assets. His recent publications focus on financial stability , credit booms , and macroeconomic consequences of pandemics . Collaborative works with economists like Òscar Jordà, Moritz Schularick, and Kevin H. O'Rourke demonstrate interdisciplinary engagement. His empirical methodology emphasizes local projections , historical econometrics , and long-run equilibrium modeling in international finance.
Laurence M. Ball is Professor of Economics at Johns Hopkins University's Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Economics. He also holds positions as a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and consultant for the International Monetary Fund. Ball has served as a Visiting Scholar at numerous central banks including the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Bank of England, and Reserve Bank of New Zealand. Ball received his PhD in Economics from MIT and has established himself as a leading macroeconomist specializing in monetary policy, inflation dynamics, and unemployment. His research has significantly advanced our understanding of the Phillips curve, inflation targeting frameworks, and the natural rate of unemployment. He is particularly known for developing the weighted median inflation measure as a superior alternative to traditional core inflation metrics. Ball's research portfolio reveals consistent focus on understanding inflation behavior across different economic environments, from the Great Recession to the post-pandemic period. His recent work (2023-2025) has centered on shelter inflation measurement, post-pandemic inflation dynamics, and refining inflation targeting frameworks. The thematic continuity across his publications demonstrates his sustained contribution to monetary economics, with particular emphasis on empirical validation of theoretical models using real-world data. Scientific Recognition: Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research Author of influential book The Fed and Lehman Brothers: Setting the Record Straight on a Financial Disaster (Cambridge University Press, 2018) Extensive publication record in top economics journals and NBER working papers Ball has made significant contributions to policy debates through his IMF consultancy and central bank engagements. His work on inflation measurement during the pandemic provided timely insights for monetary policymakers worldwide. His research on hysteresis in unemployment has influenced how economists understand the long-term effects of recessions. Ball maintains an active research agenda, with multiple working papers published through 2025 addressing contemporary monetary policy challenges.
Danny Yagan is a Researcher at the University of California, Berkeley Department of Economics, with expertise in public economics, taxation, and income inequality. He contributes to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and the Conference on Research in Income and Wealth. His research focuses on fiscal policy, including deficit sustainability and the "growth dividend" concept. He has extensively studied pass-through business entities' impact on labor income share and inequality, using administrative tax data to analyze wealth distribution and taxation of top earners. Recent work examines spatial inequality trends, place-based redistribution, and the role of colleges in intergenerational mobility. Collaborations with scholars like Raj Chetty, Emmanuel Saez, and Owen Zidar highlight his interdisciplinary approach. Yagan's publications span topics including tax reform, capital taxation, and household investment behavior. He is actively involved in policy analysis and empirical economic research.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in LausanneSwitzerland
Philippe Thalmann is an Associate Professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), leading the Laboratoire d'Économie Urbaine et de l'Environnement (LEURE). His research focuses on environmental economics, climate policy, energy systems, and sustainable urban development. He holds academic affiliations within the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC) and teaches courses on energy economics, environmental policy, and real estate. Thalmann serves on numerous national committees, including the Federal Housing Commission, the Climate Change Advisory Committee (OcCC), and the Swiss Competence Centers for Energy Research (SCCER). He has directed the INTER Institute for Urban Studies (2009–2014) and currently chairs ProClim, the Forum for Climate and Global Change. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to climate mitigation, housing affordability, and environmental policy design. Education: PhD in Economics (implied via academic rank and research output) Research interests include carbon pricing mechanisms, renewable energy systems, urban sustainability, and the economic implications of climate policy. He has advised over 30 doctoral and master’s students on topics ranging from energy efficiency valuation to housing market dynamics. Thalmann’s recent publications analyze Switzerland’s climate policy frameworks, renewable energy transitions, and the environmental impact of housing and mobility systems. He actively advises policymakers on decarbonization strategies, tax reforms, and carbon removal technologies. Notable contributions include the Renewable Energy Outlook II for Switzerland and studies on fiscal incentives for climate action. Advising & Grants: Supervised 28 students (listed above). Engaged in research projects funded by EPFL and Swiss federal initiatives. Collaborates with the Swiss National Research Program (PNR66) and energy policy think tanks. Labs/Teams: Director of LEURE Lab, part of the Urban Institute (INTER), and member of ProClim leadership.
Eva Cantoni is a Full Professor at the Research Center for Statistics within the Geneva School of Economics and Management , University of Geneva. Her expertise spans robust statistical methodology, model selection, and applications in ecology and medicine. Ph.D. from University of Geneva Accredited European Statistician (FENStatS) Research Interests : She specializes in Robust statistics for real-world data Variable/model selection in high-dimensional settings Nonparametric and semi-parametric regression Zero-inflated and overdispersed count models Longitudinal and spatiotemporal data analysis Her work addresses ecological challenges (fish stock assessment), medical applications (hospital congestion modeling), and housing market analysis. Recent Trends in Publications : Recent articles focus on Confidence intervals for robust mixed models Editorial leadership in robust statistics Applications to fisheries science and public health Flexible modeling frameworks for complex data Comparative studies of statistical measures Extremes modeling in healthcare Leadership & Grants : She has served as: Vice-Dean for Teaching (2020-2023) Director of Master's in Statistics (2012-2019) Director of Applied Statistics Certificate (2015-2019) President, Swiss Federal Statistics Committee (2024-2027) Specialty Chief Editor, Frontiers in Applied Mathematics (2024) Grants include projects on Robust solutions for modern data (2023-2025) Sustainable fisheries modeling (2018-2021) Advancements in state-space models (2014-2017) Software Contributions : Developed R packages for robust statistical methods: confintROB (bootstrap confidence intervals) RobSSM (robust state-space models) R2_LMM (explained variation measures)
Hugo Subtil is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Zurich, affiliated with the Chair of Comparative Politics in Political Institutions and European Politics. He is an active member of the University's Digital Society Initiative (DSI), particularly engaged with the DSI Community AI & Law and multiple other interdisciplinary communities including Cybersecurity, Digital Humanities, and Ethics. His academic background includes: Economics studies at École Polytechnique (France) PhD from École des Mines and École Polytechnique (France) Subtil's research program integrates Political Economy, Political Science, and Computational Social Science to investigate European political dynamics through quantitative text analysis. He specializes in extracting political ideologies from large-scale text corpora using machine learning algorithms and social media data, with dual research foci: (1) how institutional design shapes social norms and behaviors, and (2) longitudinal evolution of political ideologies. His methodological approach bridges traditional political science with cutting-edge computational techniques for analyzing legislative discourse and public communication. Analysis of his 12 publications (2020-2025) reveals a clear trajectory from historical economic analysis toward contemporary computational political science. Early work (2020-2021) examined Marxian economics and pandemic-era urban migration patterns, while recent research (2023-2025) increasingly focuses on European Parliament discourse, populism, and emotional rhetoric using advanced text mining techniques. This evolution demonstrates growing specialization in computational analysis of political communication within European institutions. No scientific awards or major honors are documented in the available information. While no formal advisees or grant funding details are specified, Subtil's collaborative work within the DSI framework suggests engagement with interdisciplinary research teams addressing digital society challenges. His position within the Chair of Comparative Politics indicates involvement in departmental research initiatives related to European governance. Subtil operates at the nexus of multiple research ecosystems: the Department of Political Science's European Politics research group, the university-wide Digital Society Initiative, and specialized DSI communities exploring AI-law intersections. His work contributes to the DSI's mission of addressing societal challenges through digitalization research, particularly in computational analysis of political discourse and institutional behavior.
Frédéric Robert-Nicoud is Full Professor of Political Economy at the Geneva School of Economics and Management (GSEM) , University of Geneva. He has held academic positions at HEC Lausanne and the London School of Economics (LSE), with visiting roles at CEMFI, CERAS, CORE, Princeton, and other institutions. His research focuses on Economic Geography, Urban Economics, and International Trade , with significant contributions to agglomeration theory, trade liberalization, and spatial sorting. Education: PhD in Economics, London School of Economics (2002) Master's in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics (Summa Cum Laude, 1999) Master's in International Relations (HEID, 1996) Bachelor's in Economics (University of Geneva, 1994) His research interests explore the interplay between trade liberalization, urban inequality, tech clusters, and labor market dynamics. Recent work analyzes climate change's geographic implications and structural transformation in cities. He has developed frameworks for understanding highway impacts on spatial sorting, agglomeration effects, and trade's role in unemployment. Key scientific awards include: CEPR Fellow Affiliated with Spatial Economic Research Centre (SERC) Former Editor of Journal of Economic Geography (6 years) Former Associate Editor of Review of International Economics (4 years) Member of Conseil scientifique des économistes His grants and fellowships span NBER, CEPR, and SERC affiliations. He has presented at major conferences including the Urban Economics Association Annual Meetings, European Economic Association Congress, and World Trade Institute seminars.
Prof. Samuel Maxwell Kern Alexander is a full Professor of International and European Financial Law and holds the Chair of Law and Finance at the University of Zurich's Faculty of Law. He leads the University of Zurich Competence Center for Sustainability: Finance, Law, Science and the Humanities, focusing on interdisciplinary research and teaching in sustainable finance. His roles include Co-Director of the Oxford Bank Governance Programme and participation in high-level EU supervisory initiatives. Research interests center on financial regulation, sustainable finance, banking law, and EU economic governance. Notable projects include analyzing ECB policy post-COVID-19, digital asset legal frameworks, and climate risk integration in banking regulation. He co-edited EU Sustainable Finance: Regulation, Supervision and Governance (2024) and frequently advises parliamentary committees like the UK House of Lords on financial regulatory priorities. Recent activities include keynote addresses at Madrid's EU Economic Governancy Colloquium (2025), testimony on regulatory objectives balancing (2024), and co-directing Oxford's 2023 Bank Governance Programme addressing post-SVB crisis challenges. His work bridges academic research with policy impact, emphasizing ethical banking governance and cross-border regulatory coherence. Prof. Alexander is a frequent commentator on Swiss banking crises, notably critiquing FINMA's handling of Credit Suisse (2023). He collaborates with institutions like the IMF, UNCTAD, and UBS on sustainable finance initiatives, and leads international conferences on topics like digital finance ethics and blended finance for urban development.
Tarun Ramadorai is Professor of Financial Economics at Imperial College London, with a distinguished career spanning household finance, financial economics, behavioral economics, real estate, and international finance. He serves as Executive Editor of the Review of Financial Studies and holds prestigious fellowships including Research Fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), Senior Academic Fellow of the Asian Bureau of Finance and Economics Research (ABFER), and Nonresident Senior Fellow at the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). Education BA in Mathematics and Economics from Williams College MPhil in Economics from the University of Cambridge PhD in Business Economics from Harvard University Research Interests Professor Ramadorai's research spans household finance, financial economics, behavioral economics, real estate, and international finance. His work examines how households make financial decisions across different markets and countries, with particular focus on housing markets, investment behavior, and financial inclusion. He has established himself as a leading expert in international comparative household finance, having previously served as Principal Investigator on a transformational initiative financed by the Sloan Foundation to establish this sub-field of finance and economics. His recent research explores the intersection of technology and personal finance, housing market dynamics, and optimal tax policy. He has demonstrated how housing costs impact fertility decisions, how machine learning affects credit markets, and how privacy policies influence consumer data extraction. His work combines rigorous theoretical frameworks with innovative empirical approaches using large-scale datasets from diverse markets. Publication Trends Professor Ramadorai's recent publications reveal a strong focus on household decision-making in financial markets, with increasing attention to the digital transformation of finance. His work bridges theoretical insights with practical policy implications, particularly in emerging economies. There is a clear trend toward interdisciplinary research that combines finance, economics, and data science to address pressing questions about financial inclusion, housing affordability, and the impact of technology on traditional financial services. Scientific Awards Brattle prize for best paper in the Journal of Finance Jensen prize for the best paper in the Journal of Financial Economics Wharton School-WRDS Best Paper Award in Empirical Finance James A Lebenthal Excellence in Municipal Finance Research Prize FMA Napa Conference Best Paper Prize INQUIRE Europe third prize Viz Risk Management Best paper prize Policy Engagement and Advisory Roles Professor Ramadorai has made significant contributions to policy discussions worldwide. He served as Chairman of the Inter-Regulatory Committee on Household Finance constituted by the Reserve Bank of India, which produced the influential "Indian Household Finance" report. He has advised numerous institutions including the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, the European Securities and Markets Authority, and the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund. Currently, he co-chairs the Fintech workstream of the India-UK Financial Partnership, helping to shape the future of financial technology across borders. Research Initiatives Professor Ramadorai previously led the Initiative on International Comparative Household Finance, funded by the Sloan Foundation, which established household finance as a distinct sub-field of research. He is in the process of setting up a new initiative at Imperial College Business School to further advance this area of study. His work has influenced both academic research and practical policy interventions in financial markets around the world.
Jean-Michel Bonvin is a Full Professor of Social Policies and Vulnerabilities at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Geneva . He holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Paris Sorbonne and leads a robust research agenda funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the European Union. He is actively involved in major research initiatives including SocIEtY (EU-FP7), RE-InVEST (H2020), and the National Research Center LIVES (NCCR-SNF), as well as past EU projects such as WorkAble , EduWel , and Eurocap . He also contributes to COST actions on social protection reform and gender well-being. His academic focus lies at the intersection of social and employment policies , organizational innovation , the sociology of work , and theories of justice , with a special emphasis on Amartya Sen’s capability approach . His research critically examines themes such as activation policies, social inclusion, the gig economy, and the socioeconomics of inequality. His recent publications reflect a strong trend toward integrating the capability framework into analyses of social protection, labor regulation, youth transitions, and digital work. He explores how institutional structures shape individual agency and voice, particularly among vulnerable populations. His work often bridges normative theory with empirical research, contributing to debates on social justice, democratic participation, and the future of the welfare state. Bonvin has received recognition through sustained research funding and leadership roles. He is a member of editorial boards for journals such as Negotiations , Swiss Journal of Social Work , and Finance & the Common Good . He has also served as President of the Swiss Association for Social Policy since 2008 and is a founding member of CESCAP . He advises on public policy evaluations for cantonal and federal institutions, including studies on social assistance, housing, pandemic impacts, and labor regulations. His teaching includes governance of social security, socioeconomics of inequalities, and social policy analysis. He contributes to academic discourse through edited volumes, policy reports, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Bonvin is affiliated with research groups focused on social vulnerability, life course studies, and social dialogue. His work is central to the LIVES network and projects like INVOLVE (2023–2026), which promotes inclusive public policies. He leads research on the gig economy, social investment, and participatory capability, often in collaboration with European and Swiss institutions.
Prof. Kern Alexander is a Chaired Full Professor of International Banking and Financial Law at the University of Zurich's Faculty of Law, leading the Chair for Law and Finance. He serves as Director of the University of Zurich Competence Center for Sustainability: Finance, Law, Science, and the Humanities, coordinating interdisciplinary research on sustainability. He is also Co-Director of the Oxford Bank Governance Programme at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, addressing strategic and regulatory challenges in global banking. His research focuses on sustainable finance, banking regulation, climate change, and financial stability, with a particular emphasis on integrating environmental and social considerations into financial systems. Awarded roles include advising the G20 on Green Banking Policy and contributing to UN initiatives on Basel III reforms. He frequently presents at international forums, including keynotes at the University of Madrid Carlos III and UK House of Lords, and publishes extensively on topics like digital finance, ESG investments, and central bank mandates. His work bridges academia and practice, influencing policy through reports such as 'Stability and Sustainability in Banking Reform' and advising institutions like UBS on sustainable finance preferences. He leads the Research Network for Sustainable Finance (SUSFIN), fostering collaboration among universities, policymakers, and industry. His research spans macro-prudential regulation, risk culture in financial services, and the intersection of law, innovation, and finance. He has advised the European Parliament on financial services legislation and contributed to UNCTAD conferences on digital financial services and trade.
S. Sarah Zhang is an Assistant Professor at the Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, where she conducts research at the intersection of finance, technology, and market microstructure. Her academic work spans traditional financial markets analysis and emerging fintech applications, with a particular focus on high-frequency trading systems and data-driven financial services. Dr. Zhang's research interests center on market liquidity, price discovery mechanisms, high-frequency trading dynamics, and the evolving landscape of open banking and data privacy regulations. Her work examines how information flows through modern financial markets and how technological innovations reshape traditional banking services and market structures. Recent research has increasingly focused on the societal implications of financial technology, including racial disparities in mortgage markets and the impact of privacy regulations on banking operations. Her scholarly output shows a clear evolution from traditional market microstructure research toward the intersection of finance and information technology. Early work examined high-frequency trading and price discovery mechanisms, while more recent publications address open banking, API adoption, and data privacy legislation. This trajectory reflects the broader transformation occurring within financial markets as digital technologies reshape traditional banking and trading practices. Dr. Zhang has collaborated with researchers across multiple institutions globally, demonstrating the interdisciplinary nature of her work that bridges finance, economics, and information systems. Her publications in top finance journals like the Journal of Finance and Journal of Banking and Finance indicate the significance and impact of her research within the academic community.
David Dorn is the UBS Foundation Professor of Globalization and Labor Markets at the University of Zurich and Director of the university-wide interdisciplinary research priority program “Equality of Opportunity.” He is also an Affiliated Professor at the UBS International Center of Economics in Society and holds research fellowships at CEPR (London), IZA (Bonn), and CESifo (Munich). Previously, he was a tenured Associate Professor at CEMFI (Madrid) and a visiting professor at Harvard, UC Berkeley, MIT, Boston University, and the University of Chicago. Education Ph.D. in Economics, University of St. Gallen (Dissertation No. 3613, September 2009) Research Interests Professor Dorn’s work sits at the intersection of labor economics, international trade, economic geography, and macroeconomics . His research agenda focuses on understanding how globalization and technological change reshape labor markets, wage structures, and social inequality. He has produced seminal studies on the “China shock” —the labor-market impacts of rising Chinese import competition—and on the polarization of employment toward low-skill services and high-skill professions. His recent work extends to measuring multidimensional skills using LinkedIn data , analyzing superstar firms and the falling labor share , and examining public attitudes toward trade policy and their electoral consequences in the United States and Europe. Publications & Data Impact Dorn’s publications have appeared in top-tier journals such as the American Economic Review , Quarterly Journal of Economics , Journal of the European Economic Association , and Economic Journal . His datasets—covering occupation codes, task content, industry trade exposure, commuting-zone definitions, and political geography—are widely used across the economics profession. Awards & Honors Hermann Heinrich Gossen Prize, 2023 (top economist under 45 in German-speaking countries) Swiss National Science Foundation ERC Starting Grant Ranked among the 100 most-cited economists worldwide over the past decade Grants & Advising As Director of the URPP “Equality of Opportunity,” he leads an interdisciplinary team investigating the determinants and consequences of unequal life chances. He also serves on the editorial boards of the Review of Economic Studies and the Journal of the European Economic Association , shaping the direction of research in labor and international economics. Laboratory & Team His research group is embedded in the Department of Economics at the University of Zurich, housed at Schönberggasse 1, Zurich. Administrative support is provided by Anne Sander (anne.sander@econ.uzh.ch).
