Kate Smith

Kate Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where she has been since 2022. She is also a Research Fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), a role she has held alongside her academic position. Her research focuses on Public Finance, Industrial Organisation, and Applied Microeconomics, with particular expertise in tax policy, consumer behavior, and health economics. She holds a PhD in Economics from University College London (2022), an MSc in Economics (Distinction, UCL, 2014–2016), and a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (First Class Honors, University of Oxford, 2008–2011).

Her work examines topics such as optimal tax design in alcohol and sin markets, the impact of taxation on business owner-manager behavior, and the effects of policy interventions on dietary choices. Notable contributions include studies on the dietary impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of product reformulation in improving nutrition. She has been awarded the Economic Journal Referee Prize (2017), the Hicks Prize (2011), and the Sloan Memorial Prize (2011).

Smith has secured significant research grants, including a £298,000 ESRC New Investigator award for studying entrepreneurial tax policies and a £490,000 ESRC grant examining state dependence in food markets. She teaches courses such as Public Economics for Research Students at LSE and has been a guest lecturer at the University of Oxford. Her policy work includes advising on tax reforms and consumer protection, with publications in prestigious journals like the Economic Journal and the Review of Economics and Statistics.