Isabella Weber

Isabella Weber is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an Associate in Research at Harvard University’s Fairbank Center. Her work focuses on inflation dynamics, China’s political economy, and global trade. She holds a dual Ph.D. in Economics (The New School for Social Research) and Development Studies (University of Cambridge).

Research Interests: Her primary areas include inflation and monetary policy, China’s economic reforms, and the history of economic thought. Her book How China Escaped Shock Therapy won multiple international awards and was translated into five languages.

Grants & Leadership: She leads major grants like the Open Society Foundation’s “Essential: Towards a New Stabilization Paradigm” (2024–2026) and has advised policymakers globally. She was a principal investigator for the ESRC-funded Rebuilding Macroeconomics project on global export patterns.

Awards:

• Time 100 Next (2023)
• Bloomberg 50 Ones to Watch (2023)
• Four international book awards for How China Escaped Shock Therapy

Teaching & Outreach: Teaches courses such as Intermediate Macroeconomics (UMass Amherst) and advises doctoral students. She also co-founded Surplus, a German economics magazine, and organizes workshops like the Political Economy Workshop at UMass.

Languages: German (native), English (fluent), Chinese (fluent), French (advanced), Thai (basic).