Angelo Castaldo is an Associate Professor in Public Finance at the Faculty of Law, Sapienza University of Rome, with a Ph.D. in Law and Economics from the University of Siena and an M.Sc. in Economics from the University of York. He serves as Chair of the Graduate Program in European Studies (LM-90) and the Master in Competition and Regulation of Markets (CORE), while also holding roles at international institutions like Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in China. Education: Ph.D. in Law and Economics, University of Siena M.Sc. in Economics, University of York, UK Master in Law and Economics, University of Siena Research Focus: Public Finance Law and Economics Environmental Crime Analysis Occupational Safety and Health Competition Policy Technological Innovation Impact His recent publications analyze workplace accident determinants, environmental crime drivers, and taxation policies for sin goods, employing empirical methods across European and Italian contexts. Current research projects focus on technology's impact on occupational safety and public investment incentives for workplace health improvements. He actively participates in academic conferences and serves as co-managing editor for public finance working papers at Sapienza University of Rome.
Associate Professor Dr. Martin Gruber-Risak has been a core faculty member at the University of Vienna’s Institute for Labour and Social Law since 1996, serving as Associate Professor from 2012 onward and as Scientific Director of the LL.M. programme "Labour Law". Education & Career: 1989-1993 Law studies, University of Vienna 1993-1999 Doctoral studies in law, University of Vienna 2003 William Evans Visiting Fellow, University of Otago, NZ 2007 Habilitation in Labour & Social Law, University of Vienna 2010-2012 Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellow (University of Otago & Vienna) 2020 Visiting Professor, University of Salzburg Research Interests: Gruber-Risak’s scholarship covers Austrian and European labour law, working-time regulation, collective bargaining, dispute resolution & mediation, atypical employment, and the legal challenges of digital platform work. His recent projects analyse crowd-work, algorithmic management and EU initiatives for fair platform working conditions. Publications & Trends: Author of 19 monographs and more than 140 articles since 1999, he explores evolving employment forms, unilateral wage clauses, dismissal protection, and the transposition of EU directives into Austrian law, combining doctrinal analysis with socio-legal and comparative perspectives. Scientific Awards: Leopold Kunschak Science Prize 2009 Cardinal Innitzer Prize 2009 Projects & Grants: He currently leads the FWF project "Virtual Employees" investigating platform work and has participated in EU studies on digitalisation and labour law reform. Labs & Teams: He heads the "Labour Law" LL.M. programme team and is a key member of the Institute for Labour and Social Law research group focusing on digitalisation and European labour standards.
Frances Woolley is a full-time Professor in the Department of Economics at Carleton University , with a cross-appointment to the School of Public Policy and Administration . Her research focuses on public finance , labour economics , and feminist economics , with expertise in family economics , gender inequality , and tax policy . Her work bridges theoretical economic models with real-world policy analysis, particularly in intra-household resource distribution and taxation fairness. Recent publications highlight her engagement with emerging issues such as cryptoasset taxation , long-term care financing , and cross-border carbon pricing . Her research consistently emphasizes gender dimensions in economic outcomes and policy impacts. Woolley has received notable awards including the Purvis Prize and Vanderkamp Award , and delivered the Canadian Economics Association Presidential Address in 2018. She actively contributes to public discourse through popular writing and media engagements, addressing topics like labor market dynamics, tax equity, and social policy.
Tara M. Sinclair is Professor of Economics and International Affairs and Chair of the Department of Economics at the George Washington University. She is also affiliated with the Elliott School of International Affairs through the Institute for International Economic Policy and the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies. Additional affiliations include the GW Institute of Public Policy Research, the Regulatory Studies Center, and GW-CIBER. Sinclair has held influential public sector roles, including Deputy Assistant Secretary for Macroeconomics at the U.S. Department of the Treasury (2022–2024) and founding Chief Economist at Indeed Hiring Lab. PhD in Economics, Washington University in St. Louis (2005) AM in Economics, Washington University in St. Louis (2001) BA in Foreign Languages, Wheaton College (1996) Her research centers on macroeconomic fluctuations, labor market dynamics, forecasting, and the application of big data to economic analysis. She employs econometric and time series methods to model business cycles, evaluate forecast accuracy, and assess policy impacts. Her work connects academic research with real-world decision-making, particularly in labor markets and monetary policy. Sinclair frequently uses online job posting data to generate timely insights into employment trends. Her recent publications focus on post-pandemic labor market transformations, remote work persistence, forecast evaluation, and regulatory economics. She has published in top journals such as Labour Economics , Journal of Applied Econometrics , Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics , and International Journal of Forecasting . Her research leverages real-time data to analyze topics like unemployment insurance claims, job mismatch, and global hiring trends. Scientific recognition includes membership in the Conference on Research in Income and Wealth (CRIW), the Federal Forecasters Consortium Governing Board, and authorship at VoxEU. She has served as a Special Government Employee on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Technical Advisory Committee. She advises and collaborates with numerous researchers and institutions. Her leadership roles include directing the GW Center for Economic Research (former) and leading research initiatives at Indeed Hiring Lab. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in macroeconomics and econometrics, and is frequently cited in major media outlets including the New York Times , Wall Street Journal , and Financial Times , and appears on networks such as CNN, NPR, and Bloomberg. Her research team includes collaborators from Federal Reserve Banks, international organizations, and academic institutions. She leads projects funded by GW-CIBER and contributes to policy reports for the U.S. Treasury and Indeed Hiring Lab.
Daniel P. Kessler is the Keith and Jan Hurlbut Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and a professor at both Stanford Law School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He holds a PhD in economics from MIT and a JD from Stanford Law School, blending expertise in law, economics, and public policy. His research focuses on health care economics, antitrust, industrial organization, and law and economics. PhD in Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Juris Doctor (JD), Stanford Law School His primary research interests include health care policy, US labor markets, budget & spending, regulation, and property rights. He is particularly known for his critical analyses of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance markets. His work often explores how market structures, regulations, and legal frameworks affect health care costs, provider behavior, and patient outcomes. Kessler’s recent publications reveal a consistent focus on health care reform, hospital integration, opioid prescribing, and fiscal sustainability. His articles and books, such as Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise , advocate for market-based solutions to reduce costs and improve efficiency in the U.S. health care system. He frequently collaborates with leading scholars like John F. Cogan, R. Glenn Hubbard, and Mark McClellan. The Effect of Hospital Ownership on Medical Productivity Designing Hospital Antitrust Policy to Promote Social Welfare The Responsiveness of Medicaid Spending to the Federal Subsidy Non-Profit Hospital Governance, Conduct, and CEO Pay The Relationship Between Provider Age and Opioid Prescribing Behavior Among his scientific contributions are influential working papers and commentaries published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, Hoover Institution Press, and major journals. He is a founding member of the Hoover Program on the Foundations of Economic Prosperity and participates in the Health Care Working Group. Kessler has not received explicitly listed awards in the text, but his sustained publication record and senior fellowship at Hoover reflect high scholarly recognition. He regularly contributes to public discourse through op-eds in the Wall Street Journal , Hoover Digest , and The Hill , demonstrating active engagement in policy debates. Kessler advises on health and economic policy and has been involved in research on public opinion, labor supply effects of health reform, and malpractice liability. He does not appear to have formal PhD advisees listed, but his collaborative work suggests mentorship and leadership in research teams. He is not associated with a specific lab but contributes to interdisciplinary research initiatives at Hoover and Stanford.
Prof. Farzad Saidi is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Bonn. He is affiliated with the Institute for Macroeconomics and Econometrics, ECONtribute, and the CRC TR 224 EPoS research centers. His work focuses on financial intermediation, monetary policy, corporate finance, and labor markets. He has contributed extensively to understanding bank behavior under negative interest rates, the effects of financial regulation, and the interplay between social preferences and economic outcomes during crises. Research highlights include analyzing strategic communication among banks, the impact of regulatory changes on insurance industries, and the role of social preferences in pandemic responses. His awards include the Jensen Prize for outstanding corporate finance research. Current projects explore credit supply dynamics, data-driven business cycles, and the macroeconomic implications of financial sanctions. Prof. Saidi's work spans theoretical and empirical domains, addressing topics such as banking structure, liquidity management, and the transmission of monetary policy. His affiliations with interdisciplinary centers reflect a commitment to collaborative, policy-relevant research.
Alessandro Gavazza is a Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He holds a PhD in Economics from New York University. His research focuses on Industrial Organization and Applied Microeconomics, with a particular emphasis on mortgage markets, monetary policy, consumer finance, and labor economics. His work explores dynamics in durable goods markets, regulatory interventions, and the effects of monetary policy on financial systems. Recent research includes analyses of refinancing cross-subsidies in mortgage markets, the impact of new product quality on consumer expenditures, and the role of monetary policy in shaping mortgage pricing. He has also examined labor market dynamics, such as recruiting intensity and its relationship with economic shocks. His contributions span theoretical and empirical studies, often employing econometric models to evaluate policy implications. No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned in the provided materials. His teaching includes courses such as EC486: Econometric Methods and EC536: Economics of Industry for Research Students. He is affiliated with the STICERD Economics of Industry Programme.
Tyler Custis serves as an Associate Professor at the University of South Dakota's Beacom School of Business, specializing in Business Law and the Legal Environment. His academic appointments reflect deep engagement with contemporary legal challenges in sports, finance, and corporate governance. His educational background includes: JD from University of South Dakota (2013) MBA from University of South Dakota (2012) BS from Texas A&M University (2007) Custis' research focuses on high-impact legal intersections, particularly NCAA regulations, corporate fraud mechanisms, and healthcare compliance failures. His work bridges theoretical legal frameworks with real-world economic consequences, examining how regulatory gaps enable systemic misconduct in sports leagues and financial institutions. Key themes include Title IX implications for athlete compensation, internal control failures in banking scandals, and antitrust considerations in collegiate athletics. His publication portfolio reveals strong emphasis on sports law evolution (2016-2025), corporate ethics case studies (2018-2022), and financial regulation analysis (2019-2024). The research demonstrates methodological diversity spanning empirical analysis of NCAA labor models, forensic accounting of banking fraud, and policy evaluation of legislative responses to corporate misconduct. Award recognition includes: Beacom School of Business Faculty Excellence Teaching Award (2023) Excellence in Teaching Award Nominee (2023) Best Paper Award at ICTO International Conference (2019) Custis actively disseminates research through scholarly presentations at venues including ASHE Annual Conferences, Academy of Legal Studies meetings, and Beacom Scholar Series. His work engages directly with policymakers on NCAA reform and corporate compliance frameworks, demonstrating applied impact beyond academic circles.
Markus Christen is a researcher and Managing Director of the Digital Society Initiative at the University of Zurich, where he leads the Digital Ethics Lab within the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine. His work bridges empirical ethics, neuroethics, and ICT ethics with a focus on data analysis methodologies. Affiliation: University of Zurich (Faculty of Medicine) Role: Managing Director of the Digital Society Initiative Lab: Digital Ethics Lab Christen’s research explores ethical challenges in AI, cybersecurity, and digital health. He investigates value conflicts in technology design, moral sensitivity training through serious games, and human-AI accountability frameworks . His recent publications address digital twins in medicine , AI accessibility for disabled students , and cross-cultural responsibility gaps in AI systems. Key trends in his work include: Empirical ethics applied to AI and cybersecurity Neuroethical dimensions of technology Responsible AI integration in education and healthcare Data privacy and fairness in insurance Cross-cultural ethical assessments Christen’s lab develops frameworks for value-sensitive design and human-AI collaboration , with projects like "Responsible AI in practice" and "DSI AI-WEEK."
Charlie Rafkin is an upcoming Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of British Columbia, starting January 2026. He completed his PhD in Economics at MIT (2024) and held postdoctoral positions at Berkeley (2024–2025) and Stanford (2025). His research focuses on behavioral and public economics, exploring topics like transfer program design, intergenerational mobility, and policy impacts on marginalized groups. Key contributions include analyzing self-targeting mechanisms in welfare programs, social preferences in landlord-tenant bargaining, and the welfare effects of SNAP eligibility expansions. Education: PhD in Economics, MIT (2024); Postdoctoral fellowships at UC Berkeley and Stanford University. Research Interests: Behavioral economics, public policy, social welfare, legal aid, and intergenerational mobility. He employs experimental methods and field data to study policy design, welfare outcomes, and societal preferences. His work bridges theoretical models with empirical evidence, addressing topics like eviction dynamics, health care rights, and mortality trends among disadvantaged populations. Publications and Awards: Published in leading journals like the American Economic Journal and the Journal of Public Economics. Received the Innovative Policy Research Award (ADB/IEA) for work on Indian mobility and the CESifo Distinguished Affiliate Award in Behavioral Economics. His research on legal assistance for evictions and SNAP eligibility has informed policy debates on welfare targeting and program efficacy. Labs/Teams: Collaborates with institutions like the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), where he developed the scfses Stata tool for analyzing Survey of Consumer Finances data. Active in interdisciplinary teams studying behavioral public finance and policy evaluation.
Maria Paola Mariani is an Associate Professor of International and EU Law at Bocconi University, affiliated with the Bocconi Lab for European Studies (BLEST). Her work bridges international law and EU legal frameworks, focusing on economic governance, Brexit implications, and pandemic-related trade challenges. She teaches courses on international law and EU private international law. Her research examines how international and EU law address contemporary globalized economic issues, including Brexit’s legal consequences and the EU’s response to trade barriers during the pandemic. She has authored influential works cited by EU judicial bodies, such as her analysis of Article 50 TEU in Brexit-related jurisprudence. Publications span peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, addressing topics from EU insurance market regulation to transitional regimes post-Brexit. Her work emphasizes legal mechanisms to balance sovereignty, economic integration, and crisis management in a globalized context. Mariani’s academic contributions reflect a commitment to practical legal solutions for transnational challenges, with a focus on mitigating regulatory fragmentation and ensuring legal continuity in periods of systemic change.
Dr. Marcus Dillender is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at Vanderbilt University, a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), and a Research Fellow at the IZA Institute of Labor Economics. His research focuses on the intersection of health, labor, and public economics, with particular attention to occupational health, workers' compensation insurance, and healthcare labor markets. PhD in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin (2013) Prior affiliations: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health Dr. Dillender's recent work investigates gender disparities in medical evaluations and policy impacts on healthcare markets . He has also studied the effects of air pollution on workplace safety , computerization on employment , and public health funding efficacy . His research appears in journals such as the Journal of Health Economics and Journal of Public Economics. Office hours: Tuesdays, 3-5pm at Vanderbilt University.
Professor Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak is a leading scholar in Development Economics at Yale University, holding concurrent appointments in the School of Management and the Department of Economics (Faculty of Arts and Sciences). He is the founder of the Yale Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE), focusing on scaling evidence-based interventions in global development. His research spans Behavioral Economics, Development Economics, and Environmental Economics, with a focus on field experiments in Bangladesh, Nepal, Sierra Leone, and Indonesia. Key projects include strategies to address seasonal poverty through migration subsidies and consumption loans, and evidence-based responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaborations with governments and NGOs have reached over 100 million people via mask distribution programs informed by the NORM model. Mobarak has been honored with the Carnegie Fellowship (2017) and recognition by Vox as a scientist shaping the future. His teaching includes PhD courses in development economics and an MBA course on business-government-society interactions, addressing policy issues like race, gender, and public health. Recent awards: 2017 Carnegie Fellowship, 2022 Vox '50 Scientists' Key research partnerships: Governments of Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, Global Innovation Fund Notable interventions: Malaria mask distribution, vaccine delivery in Sierra Leone
Dr. Christian Scheper is a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Development and Peace (INEF) , University of Duisburg-Essen. His work focuses on the politics of human rights, labor rights, and sustainability in the global economy, with expertise in regulating global supply chains, transnational corporate governance, and development globalization theories. Research Focus : Human rights and labor rights in global value chains Corporate due diligence obligations Transnational governance mechanisms Digital worker feedback infrastructures Intersectional conflicts in production networks Email: christian.scheper@uni-due.de
Joseph Trainor is the Interim Dean and Professor at the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Delaware. He is a core faculty member of the Disaster Research Center, renowned for expertise in Disaster Science and Emergency Management. His research integrates behavioral and organizational dimensions of disasters, focusing on risk perception, warnings, equity, and policy integration. Trainor holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Delaware (2009), with earlier degrees from the same institution and Millersville University. Education: Ph.D., Philosophy in Sociology, University of Delaware (2009) MA, Sociology, University of Delaware (2004) B.A., Double Major in Sociology and Psychology, Millersville University (2002) Research Interests: Trainor’s work spans risk communication, organizational management in crises, disaster mitigation, and equity. Key themes include household decision-making around insurance and retrofitting, multi-organizational response systems, and pandemic workforce dynamics. He emphasizes bridging academic research with practitioner needs, with a focus on policy applications. Public Service & Collaboration: Trainor collaborates with agencies like FEMA, DHS, and state emergency management offices. His projects address land-use policies, hurricane risk reduction, and pandemic response strategies. He frequently chairs doctoral committees and teaches at all academic levels. Labs & Teams: As part of the Disaster Research Center, he contributes to interdisciplinary teams advancing disaster science through mixed-methods approaches, including computational frameworks and community resilience models.
