Patricia Funk

Patricia Funk is a Professor in Economics and Director of the Master in Economics program at Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Switzerland. Her research focuses on Gender Economics and Political Economics, with a strong emphasis on empirical analysis of institutions, voting behavior, and gender disparities in academia and policy-making.

• Institution: Università della Svizzera italiana (USI)
• Role: Professor, Director of Master in Economics
• Email: patricia.funk@usi.ch
• Location: Lugano, Switzerland

Her research interests span Gender Economics, Political Economics, Public Economics, and Behavioral Economics. She investigates how institutional settings—especially direct democracy—affect policy outcomes, voter behavior, and gender representation. Her work often leverages natural experiments and large datasets from Swiss institutions.

The recent publications highlight a consistent trend toward understanding gender disparities in peer recognition, editorial processes, and academic advancement, as well as the impact of information (e.g., polls) on voter turnout and election outcomes. Her methodological rigor and use of quasi-experimental designs place her work at the forefront of empirical economic research.

She is an Associate Editor at the Economic Journal, reflecting her standing in the profession.

While specific details about advising or grants are not provided in the text, her extensive publication record in top journals indicates active research leadership and likely supervision of graduate students.

She has collaborated with leading economists including David Card, Stefano DellaVigna, and Nagore Iriberri, and her work is frequently cited in discussions on gender equity and democratic institutions.