Rosella Nicolini

Rosella Nicolini is a Professor in the Department of Applied Economics at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). She holds a PhD in Economics from the Catholic University of Louvain (2000) and has extensive visiting positions at institutions like University of Bordeaux, University of New South Wales, and Boston University. Her research focuses on urban economics, demography, regional development, and immigration policy, with a strong emphasis on territorial cohesion and spatial analysis. She has led multiple interdisciplinary projects including 'RURALITIC: RUral Revival' (2025–2028) and 'SOCIAL AND TERRITORIAL COHESION: THE DEMOGRAPHICAL CHALLENGE AND PUBLIC POLICIES' (2022–2025).

Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to education and sustainable urbanization. Recent publications explore aging populations in Europe, urban congestion impacts on public transport usage, and spatial segregation dynamics in Barcelona. Nicolini has been a key figure in modeling population distribution and analyzing labor market reforms. She collaborates internationally, having held roles at IAE, Pompeu Fabra University, and the Barcelona Institute of International Studies (IBEI).

Her grants include funding from the European Regional Development Fund and the Spanish Ministry of Science. She has supervised over 31 research works, focusing on applied economics methodologies and empirical techniques. Nicolini’s lab and team research integrates spatial econometrics with policy analysis, addressing contemporary challenges in regional development and urban governance.