Christopher Aitken

Christopher Aitken serves as a Research Associate in the School of Social Sciences and Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University, with an active research profile spanning econometrics, machine learning applications, and public health research. His academic work demonstrates significant interdisciplinary reach across economics, statistics, and healthcare domains.

His research interests focus on Time-Series Analysis with applications in financial econometrics, Machine Learning for Causal Inference in economic modeling, Energy Policy particularly regarding European energy security in the context of the Ukraine conflict, and Dementia Burden Estimation using advanced statistical methods across multiple global regions.

A notable trend in his recent publications shows expertise in applying sophisticated statistical techniques like Bayesian modeling and LASSO regression to address complex real-world problems across diverse domains. His 2023 paper on European energy options following the Ukraine invasion has received significant policy attention with 30 citations and media coverage.

His research has been recognized through citations in policy documents and media coverage, particularly regarding European energy security issues. His work on dementia burden estimation has contributed to understanding neurological health challenges in developing regions.

Dr. Aitken collaborates with researchers across multiple institutions and disciplines, with research networks spanning Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to good health and well-being, affordable and clean energy, and industry innovation.