Melissa Prado

Melissa Porras Prado is a Full Professor of Finance at Nova School of Business and Economics, holding the NOVO BANCO Chair in ESG. She serves as Area Coordinator for the Nova Finance group and is a Research Affiliate at CEPR.

• PhD in Finance (2012) - RSM Erasmus University
• Visiting Research Scholar (2010) - University of Florida
• Master in Finance (2006) - RSM Erasmus University
• CEMS in International Management (2005) - RSM Erasmus University
• Bachelor in Business Administration (2004) - RSM Erasmus University

Her research centers on market frictions' impact on institutional investor behavior and asset pricing, with a focus on Mutual Funds, Empirical Asset Pricing, and Short Selling. Current projects include analyzing ESG investing's environmental impact using remote sensing data and FinTech's effects on SME credit access.

Recent publications span topics like diversity in mutual fund teams, capital commitment mechanisms, and stock lending market structures. She has presented research at major conferences including the Western Finance Association (WFA), American Finance Association (AFA), and European Finance Association (EFA) meetings.

Notable recognition includes the Editor's Choice distinction for her 2016 Review of Financial Studies paper. She co-authored studies with leading researchers like Richard B. Evans, Rafael Zambrana, and Miguel Ferreira.

Melissa is affiliated with the Nova Finance group and CEPR, contributing to advisory work through the NOVO BANCO Chair in ESG. Her research bridges theoretical finance with practical applications in asset management and sustainable investing.