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
Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)Switzerland
Dr. Marcel Dettling is a Group Lead in Data Analysis and Statistics at the ZHAW School of Engineering , focusing on predictive analytics, applied statistics, and complex data analysis. He also serves as a Lecturer at ETH Zurich , teaching advanced statistical methods. Education : PhD in Mathematics (2000-2004), ETH Zurich Postdoc in Applied Statistics (2004-2006), Johns Hopkins University His research spans predictive analytics (regression, classification, time series), data mining, and applications in health economics, transportation safety, social sciences , and business analytics . Recent work includes pharmaceutical cost group analysis for Swiss healthcare and predictive maintenance for marine vessels. Selected publications highlight his expertise in flight trajectory modeling , deep learning error mitigation , and statistical frameworks for rehabilitation finance . His projects address diverse fields like crowdworking in nursing, energy optimization for shipping, and customer behavior prediction.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in LausanneSwitzerland
Academic Profile: Damir Filipovic is a Full Professor and the Swissquote Chair in Quantitative Finance at the College of Management of Technology (CDM) of École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. He previously held academic positions at the University of Vienna, University of Munich, and Princeton University, and served as Head of the Vienna Institute of Finance. Research Focus: Quantitative finance, risk management, stochastic processes, term structure modeling, volatility risk, and machine learning applications in financial markets. Industry Collaboration: Co-developed the Swiss Solvency Test for insurance capital requirements while consulting for the Swiss Federal Office of Private Insurance. Publications: Contributed extensively to journals like Journal of Financial Economics, Mathematical Finance, and Annals of Applied Probability, with a textbook on Term-Structure Models. Academic Service: Editorial board member of multiple journals and organizer of advanced workshops on systemic risk and financial technology. Recent Research: His work emphasizes machine learning for portfolio risk management, kernel-based yield curve estimation, and robust stochastic modeling. Keynote speaker at international conferences on finance and insurance mathematics, with over 15 recent publications in 2023-2025 addressing high-dimensional financial problems, neural control systems, and causal inference in market data. Education: Ph.D. in Mathematics from ETH Zurich (2000). Graduate of ETH Zurich and University of Vienna. Teaching & Mentorship: Supervises current and former EPFL Ph.D. students in quantitative finance, including Nicolas Camenzind, Joshua Hayes, Andrea Ruglioni, and ten others. Former students like Damien Ackerer and Lotfi Boudabsa now lead research in risk management. Labs & Programs: Directs EPFL's Finance and Technology Programme, leads the Computational Finance Group (CSF) at EPFL, and contributes to Swiss Finance Institute initiatives. Scientific Leadership: Served on EPFL Committee of Academic Evaluation and Doctoral Program Finance committee.
Fritz Brugger is a Lecturer at the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences at ETH Zürich and serves as the executive director of NADEL (Network for African-Ethiopian Development Linkages). He holds a PhD in Development Studies from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. His research focuses on the developmental impacts of natural resource extraction, extractive industries' corporate roles, and governance challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa. Key areas include health impacts of mining, illicit financial flows, and policy interventions in resource-dependent economies. Prior to joining ETH Zürich, Brugger worked at Helvetas for eight years, later becoming a consultant on governance issues in water management, agriculture, and corporate responsibility. He designed an index-based agricultural insurance system and a mobile-tech platform for smallholder farmers' market access. His work spans diverse regions, with a focus on Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Mozambique. His publications emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, such as Q-methodology for policy engagement, and address topics like mercury use in artisanal mining, corporate due diligence, and the energy transition's impact on social licenses. He contributes to global debates on illicit financial flows, tax evasion, and sustainable development goals implementation through multilateral institutions. Brugger's advisory and grant work includes projects on health impact assessments in mining communities, policy coherence in development aid, and the nexus of extractive industries and conflict. He collaborates with NGOs, governments, and private sector entities to bridge research and policy, particularly in fragile contexts.
Prof. Oliver Faude is a Professor and Researcher at the Department of Motor Performance & Biomechanics within the University of Basel's Department of Sport, Exercise and Health (DSBG). His research focuses on exercise physiology, sports medicine, and the application of physical activity in managing chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes. He supervises doctoral students, including Vivien Hohberg, whose work on telephone-based health coaching for diabetes patients was published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. Faude collaborates on projects such as the dbcoach intervention, funded by Innosuisse and health insurers, demonstrating how personalized coaching increases physical activity in diabetic populations. His work also extends to musculoskeletal imaging innovations, such as the UMUD web application for ultrasonography data access, and the PrepAir study addressing chemotherapy-induced sensory dysfunction in children. Faude's interdisciplinary approach integrates clinical research, biomechanics, and public health, with a particular emphasis on aging populations and pediatric oncology. He contributes to injury prevention strategies in sports like badminton and soccer, while advancing methodologies for muscle volume assessment via 3D ultrasound and MRI comparisons. Key Projects: dbcoach program, PrepAir study, musculoskeletal imaging tools, agility training for frailty prevention. Grants: Innosuisse, SwissLife Foundation, Voluntary Academic Society of Basel. Students: Vivien Hohberg (PhD). Labs/Teams: Motor Performance & Biomechanics lab, collaborations with Prof. Bart Roelands (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) on overtraining syndrome research.
Jonathan Zhang is an Assistant Professor at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy and a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). He is also affiliated with the US Veterans Affairs Office of Mental Health. Previously, he served on the faculty at McMaster University and was a Postdoctoral Scholar at Princeton University. His academic journey includes a PhD in Economics from Stanford University (2020) and a BSc from UBC. Dr. Zhang's research spans health economics and public finance, with particular focus on physician behavior, health policies, and safety net programs. His work demonstrates deep interest in mental health and substance use issues, examining how healthcare systems impact vulnerable populations. His research methodology often leverages quasi-random assignment and natural experiments to establish causal relationships in complex healthcare settings. His publication record reveals significant contributions to understanding healthcare disparities, particularly regarding racial differences in medical testing accuracy, socioeconomic status impacts on mental health access, and veteran healthcare outcomes. His work frequently appears in prominent working paper series, with numerous 2025 publications indicating active and ongoing research programs. Dr. Zhang maintains active professional engagement through his Google Scholar profile and personal website (jonathanzhang.net). He will be visiting the University of Copenhagen from August 1 - November 15, 2025, suggesting international collaboration and scholarly exchange.
Markus Christen is a researcher and Managing Director of the Digital Society Initiative at the University of Zurich, where he leads the Digital Ethics Lab within the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine. His work bridges empirical ethics, neuroethics, and ICT ethics with a focus on data analysis methodologies. Affiliation: University of Zurich (Faculty of Medicine) Role: Managing Director of the Digital Society Initiative Lab: Digital Ethics Lab Christen’s research explores ethical challenges in AI, cybersecurity, and digital health. He investigates value conflicts in technology design, moral sensitivity training through serious games, and human-AI accountability frameworks . His recent publications address digital twins in medicine , AI accessibility for disabled students , and cross-cultural responsibility gaps in AI systems. Key trends in his work include: Empirical ethics applied to AI and cybersecurity Neuroethical dimensions of technology Responsible AI integration in education and healthcare Data privacy and fairness in insurance Cross-cultural ethical assessments Christen’s lab develops frameworks for value-sensitive design and human-AI collaboration , with projects like "Responsible AI in practice" and "DSI AI-WEEK."
Professor Christian Biener is a faculty member at the University of St. Gallen, affiliated with the School of Economics and Political Science and the Department of Economics. His research focuses on insurance economics, behavioral economics, and risk management, with particular emphasis on topics like cyber risk, microinsurance, health insurance design, and the societal impacts of emerging technologies such as chatbots and telematics. He holds a prominent role in academic and industry discourse through his extensive publication record and contributions to policy-relevant research. Biener’s work bridges theoretical economic analysis with practical applications, addressing challenges in global insurance markets, pandemic response strategies, and the interplay between technological innovation and human behavior. His research has explored how factors like microbiome composition influence economic decision-making, the ethical implications of contact-tracing apps, and the design of effective reinsurance strategies. He actively engages with industry trends, advising on future skills requirements in reinsurance and the balance between privacy and risk hedging in digital environments. His scholarly output spans over a decade, with recent trends emphasizing behavioral aspects of insurance decisions, the impact of global events on healthcare costs, and the transformational role of technology in insurance products. Biener’s articles consistently analyze both micro-level individual decision-making and macro-level market dynamics, offering insights that inform both academic theory and policy formation. While no formal awards are explicitly mentioned, his prolific publication record and institutional affiliation suggest significant recognition within the field. Biener’s work often incorporates experimental methodologies, such as randomized controlled trials, to empirically validate theoretical models. He collaborates across disciplines, integrating insights from psychology, computer science, and public health into his economic analyses. Biener’s current research agenda includes investigating the insurability of novel risks (e.g., cyber threats), optimizing microinsurance programs in emerging markets, and analyzing non-cognitive skills’ role in post-crisis economic recovery. He leads projects at the Institute for Economics (IVW) at HSG, contributing to both academic and applied research initiatives.
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.
Prof. Antoine Bommier is a Full Professor at ETH Zurich's Department of Management, Technology, and Economics, serving as Deputy Head of the department. He holds a Chair in Integrative Risk Management and Economics and is a member of the ETH Risk Center's Steering Committee. His academic journey includes a PhD in Mathematics from École Polytechnique (1993) and a Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches in Economics from the University of Toulouse (2005). Prior roles include positions at CNRS (France), University Paris-Nanterre, and Berkeley. His research focuses on risk management, intergenerational equity, uncertainty modeling, and public policy. Key areas include climate change mitigation, annuity markets, and the valuation of catastrophic risks. Bommier has been recognized with the Robert C. Witt Award (2013) and a best-paper award from the Journal of Risk and Insurance (2012). Recent work explores ambiguity aversion's impact on savings and insurance, dynamic preferences in risky environments, and equity considerations in exhaustible resource management. He also investigates mortality-linked retirement policies and the societal value of risk reduction. Editorial Roles: Associate Editor of Decisions in Economics and Finance Professional Activities: Visiting appointments at Paris School of Economics and University Paris-Nanterre Key Themes: Climate policy, actuarial fairness, recursive utility, and sustainable development
Ricardo Reis serves as the A. W. Phillips Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) within the Department of Economics. His academic work spans multiple institutions as he participates in research networks including the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), and Columbia University. Reis is a prominent macroeconomist specializing in the intersection of macroeconomics with finance, international economics, and applied econometrics. His research focuses on the dynamics of inflation and its expectations, central bank balance sheets and liquidity programs, sticky information and rational inattention models, automatic fiscal stabilizers, and the internationalization of the Chinese renminbi (RMB). His theoretical contributions include developing the sticky information framework that has become influential in understanding how information dissemination affects economic decisions and policy transmission. His recent publications demonstrate a continued focus on monetary policy challenges, inflation dynamics, and central banking in the post-financial crisis era. Reis frequently contributes to policy discussions through comments on papers presented at NBER conferences and serves as an academic consultant for numerous central banks worldwide. His research combines theoretical innovation with practical policy relevance, particularly in understanding how central banks can maintain price stability amid economic shocks and fiscal challenges. Reis maintains active engagement with policy institutions globally, having served as an academic consultant or lecturer at the Bank of England, Central Bank of Brasil, Federal Reserve Banks (Minneapolis, New York, Richmond), Norges Bank, and the Swiss National Bank. He has also contributed to policy discussions through the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity and various international conferences.
Matthias Bannert is a Lecturer at the Department of Management, Technology, and Economics at ETH Zürich, where he works at the KOF Swiss Economic Institute (Konjunkturforschungsstelle). His work focuses on the intersection of economics, software development, and data management, with particular expertise in time series analysis and official statistics. Bannert designs solutions for state-of-the-art data processing, management, and publishing of economic data and research. Bannert completed his doctoral thesis titled "Survey Based Research in Economics - Essays on Methodology, Economic Applications and Long Term Processing of Economic Survey Data" at ETH Zürich in 2016. His academic journey began when he joined KOF in late 2008, initially working as a researcher for the Business Tendency Survey group before transitioning to the institute's IT department. Dr. Bannert's research interests span several interconnected domains at the nexus of economics and data science. He specializes in developing software environments for official statistics, with particular focus on processing and managing economic time series data through open-source driven data pipelines. His technical expertise includes R programming and PostgreSQL database systems, which he applies to create robust solutions for economic data analysis. Bannert is particularly interested in survey methodology, nowcasting techniques, and the development of reproducible research workflows. His work bridges the gap between theoretical economics and practical software implementation, ensuring that economic research can leverage state-of-the-art data processing techniques. Analysis of Bannert's publication record reveals a consistent focus on the application of data science techniques to economic research problems, particularly in the domain of official statistics and survey-based economics. His work demonstrates a progression from theoretical survey methodology to practical software implementation, with increasing emphasis on real-time economic forecasting and data management systems. A distinctive feature of his research is the development of open-source R packages that make advanced economic data analysis more accessible to researchers and practitioners. As an active contributor to the R language for Statistical computing and the open source community, Bannert has developed several notable software packages including timeseriesdb, tstools, and kofdata, which are available on CRAN. These tools reflect his commitment to creating reproducible, transparent, and efficient workflows for economic data analysis. Bannert serves as a data science supervisor for multiple KOF research projects and is a co-Principal Investigator in an SNF-funded Digital Lives project in collaboration with KOF's labor market expert group. His teaching activities include "Hacking for Sciences - An Applied Guide to Programming with Data" and involvement in the Nowcasting Lab, which provides live out-of-sample forecasting and model testing capabilities for economic researchers. Dr. Bannert is affiliated with the KOF Swiss Economic Institute, where he contributes to several research groups including the KOF Macroeconomic Forecasting group and the KOF Data Science and Macroeconomic Methods group. His work at KOF bridges the institute's traditional economic research with modern data science approaches, helping to position the institute at the forefront of data-driven economic analysis.
Dingchen Ning serves as a Research Fellow and Project Manager at the Institute of Insurance Economics (IVW) at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. Holding a Master of Arts degree, he actively contributes to research in insurance economics with a focus on cyber risk dynamics and market supply mechanisms. His research centers on cyber risk insurance supply chains and temporal risk evolution, investigating how cyber threats change over time and impact insurance market structures. This work bridges cybersecurity and economic modeling to address real-world risk management challenges in digital environments. Ning's 2023 publications reveal critical trends in cyber insurance, emphasizing dynamic risk assessment frameworks and time-sensitive market responses. His analyses highlight the growing interdependence between cybersecurity infrastructure and insurance product design in volatile threat landscapes. As part of IVW's research team, Ning collaborates on projects advancing insurance economics through empirical studies of cyber risk patterns and market behaviors, directly informing industry practices and regulatory considerations.
Pablo Koch-Medina is an Associate Professor of Finance and Insurance and Head of the Department of Finance at the University of Zurich (UZH). He is a faculty member of the Swiss Finance Institute and Director of the Center for Finance and Insurance, which bridges finance and insurance research. Before joining academia, he spent over 20 years in the finance and insurance industry. Research Interests: His work focuses on mathematical finance, financial economics, risk management, and insurance. Key themes include asset-liability management, valuation of insurance liabilities, and regulatory frameworks in financial markets. He emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches combining theoretical finance with practical insurance applications. Recent Articles: Recent publications explore capital adequacy, risk measurement frameworks, and the interplay between insurance and financial markets. His work addresses challenges like currency risk in capital requirements and the dynamics of long-term insurance products. Affiliations: Besides UZH, he contributes to the Swiss Finance Institute and the Center for Finance and Insurance. His research collaborates with institutions like the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and Maastricht University. Future Work: Ongoing projects include optimizing insurance firm investment strategies and analyzing systemic risks in pension systems. He advocates for integrating digitalization and data science into traditional actuarial models.
University of Applied Sciences and Arts LucerneSwitzerland
Matthias Wächter is a Lecturer at the Lucerne School of Business (HSLU) within the Institute of Business and Regional Economics (IBR PNM), focusing on Public and Nonprofit Management. He holds a Dr. sc. nat. (PhD) and Dipl.-Chem. (Diploma in Chemistry) from ETH Zürich. His career includes roles as a research assistant at EAWAG, program manager at Collegium Helveticum, and leadership positions in Swiss social policy organizations. His research emphasizes healthcare financing, long-term care systems, and public health management. Key research interests include the economic analysis of healthcare systems, home care coordination, palliative care models, and policy reforms for integrated health services. Notable projects include studies on home care agency frameworks, cost structures of non-profit healthcare providers, and simulation models for disease management. He has contributed to policy reports on healthcare financing and palliative care accessibility in Switzerland. Publications highlight his work on regulatory impacts in home care, healthcare resource allocation challenges, and economic sustainability of long-term care systems. He actively participates in policy discussions, such as debates on potential long-term care insurance models and aging population strategies. He serves as a board member of the Swiss Association for Social Policy, furthering interdisciplinary dialogue on social and healthcare policies. His advisory work spans strategic planning for municipalities, health infrastructure projects, and nonprofit organizational development. Key projects include the «SPOTnat» study on home care coordination and the analysis of palliative care needs in cantons Luzern and Basel-Stadt.
