Matteo Cervellati

Matteo Cervellati is a Full Professor of Economics at the University of Bologna's Department of Economics, where he has held this position since 2011. He also served as Director of the Department of Economic Sciences (2021–2024) and Director of the PhD in Economics program (2013–present). As President of the GRINS Foundation and Scientific Coordinator of the GRINS extended partnership, he focuses on fostering resilient, inclusive, and sustainable development. His research affiliations include Research Fellowships at CEPR (London), IZA (Bonn), CESifo (Munich), and the Global Labor Organization (GLO).

He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, in 2005. His research interests span political economy, economic history, long-run growth, demographic transitions, democratization processes, and cultural values. He employs georeferenced data to study the interplay between institutions, pathogens, and socio-economic outcomes, with a focus on historical and contemporary African contexts, medieval Europe, and global comparative development.

His work appears in prestigious journals such as the American Economic Review (AER), Econometrica, and the Review of Economics and Statistics. He has co-edited books like *Demographic Change and Long-Run Development* (MIT Press, 2017) and served as Co-Editor of the BE Journal of Theoretical Economics (2014–2015) and Associate Editor of the Journal of Demographic Economics. He has led multiple research projects funded by institutions including MUR, EIEF, and the University of Bologna, focusing on topics like health shocks, political fragmentation, and the legacy of historical institutions.

Prof. Cervellati has taught courses in Macroeconomics, Institutional Theory, and Comparative Development at the undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. levels, including guest lectures at LMU Munich. His academic service includes refereeing for top journals (e.g., AEA, Econometrica) and participating in global conferences such as the NBER Summer Institute and the Long Run Growth Conference (Warwick).