Joseph Kable is the Jean-Marie Kneeley President's Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Psychology within the School of Arts and Sciences. His research integrates experimental economics, cognitive neuroscience, and personality psychology to investigate the neural and psychological mechanisms underlying decision-making. He explores how subjective value is represented in the brain, deviations from rational choice theory, and individual differences in decision processes. His lab employs fMRI and interdisciplinary methods to study topics like risk tolerance, impulsivity, and neural plasticity. Education: BS in Chemistry from Emory University (undergraduate), PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania (doctoral). Research focuses on behavioral and cognitive neuroscience mechanisms of choice, including studies on temporal predictions, value signals, and brain structure-function relationships. His recent work examines how neural markers correlate with decision-making variability across individuals. He currently advises graduate students in Psychology and has post-doctoral researchers in his lab. Associated with MindCORE, Penn's hub for integrative mind research. Lab activities include undergraduate research programs and active studies exploring decision neuroscience and neuroeconomics.
Andrew Postlewaite is the Harry P. Kamen Professor of Economics and Professor of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts and Sciences. He holds dual roles in the Department of Economics and the Ronald O. Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics. As a distinguished academic, he is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and serves as a director at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Additionally, he is the founding editor of the American Economic Journal: Microeconomics and a research associate at Penn's Population Studies Center and Institute for Law and Economics. Postlewaite's research focuses on game theory, behavioral economics, and social norms, with contributions to mechanism design, repeated games, and intergenerational transmission of preferences. His work bridges theoretical foundations with applied economic analysis, particularly in areas like consumer behavior, decision-making, and institutional design. He has held visiting positions at institutions including Caltech, Harvard, and Stanford, reflecting his academic prominence. His scholarly contributions include pioneering studies on future-oriented decision-making, interdependent valuations in markets, and equilibrium concepts in repeated games. Recent publications explore topics such as the impact of local media accessibility in the digital age and the welfare implications of consumption fluctuations. His editorial leadership at journals like Econometrica and International Economic Review underscores his influence in shaping economic discourse. Awarded prestigious fellowships and editorial roles, Postlewaite's career exemplifies a blend of rigorous theoretical research and practical applications in economics. His current research trends emphasize behavioral insights and the methodological underpinnings of economic models, reflecting a commitment to advancing both theory and real-world relevance.
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)United States
Marina Agranov is Professor of Economics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), affiliated with the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences. She directs research through the Ronald and Maxine Linde Institute of Economic and Management Sciences, Center for Social Information Sciences (CSIS), and Center for Theoretical and Experimental Social Sciences (CTESS), and serves as Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Her academic credentials include a B.A. from St. Petersburg State Technical University (1999), M.A. from Tel Aviv University (2004), and Ph.D. from New York University (2010). She joined Caltech as Assistant Professor in 2010 and was promoted to full Professor in 2017. Agranov's research pioneers experimental and behavioral economics, focusing on strategic decision-making in bargaining games, social learning environments, network interactions, and information dynamics. Her work examines how individuals form beliefs and navigate tensions between personal goals and collective outcomes, often using controlled laboratory experiments to test theoretical predictions about human behavior under uncertainty. Her recent publications reveal a consistent methodological approach: blending game-theoretic models with experimental validation to investigate communication effects, randomization preferences, and institutional design. Key trends include analyzing how uncertainty impacts committee negotiations, how complexity influences egalitarian outcomes in legislative bargaining, and how information structures shape social learning on networks. Her scientific recognition includes: Associated Students of Caltech (ASCIT) Teaching Award (2017-18) Professor Agranov's research has secured significant institutional support through Caltech centers and NBER affiliation, with findings featured in major economics journals and Caltech news coverage including "Decision by Committee: How Uncertainty Shapes Negotiations" (December 2024) and "Experimental Economics in Theory and Practice" (July 2023). Her work on committee decision-making under uncertainty has direct implications for institutional design in political and corporate governance. She actively contributes to Caltech's research ecosystem through CSIS and CTESS, which facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations in social sciences and experimental methodology development.
Nikolai Roussanov is the Moise Y. Safra Associate Professor of Finance at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His research spans asset pricing, econometrics, household finance, and macroeconomics, with a focus on market dynamics and behavioral economic factors. His research interests include: Asset pricing anomalies and risk factor modeling Household financial decision-making under uncertainty Macroeconomic impacts on commodity and currency markets Behavioral finance and mental accounting mechanisms Recent publications analyze inflation risks across asset classes, corporate bond valuation, behavioral retirement strategies, and the role of leisure economics in declining work hours. His work frequently integrates empirical finance and econometric methodologies. Scientific contributions include: Faculty Research Fellow, National Bureau of Economic Research His scholarship bridges technical financial modeling with real-world economic phenomena, covering topics like oil price shocks, mortgage liquidity, and systemic market failures.
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)United States
Charles D. Sprenger is a Professor of Economics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he has served since 2020 and held the position of Executive Officer from 2022 to 2025. He is affiliated with Caltech's Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) and holds key roles at the Ronald and Maxine Linde Institute of Economic and Management Sciences and the Center for Theoretical and Experimental Social Sciences (CTESS). His external appointments include Board of Editors for the American Economic Review and Associate Editor roles for the Journal of the European Economic Association and Quantitative Economics . His educational background includes a B.A. from Stanford University (2002), an M.Sc. from University College London (2005), and a Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego (2011). These credentials established his foundation in economic theory and experimental methodology. Sprenger is a leading behavioral and experimental economist specializing in intertemporal decision making and choices under uncertainty. His research designs innovative experiments across diverse contexts—from food deserts in the United States to polio vaccination drives in Pakistan—to test the validity of standard economic models. His work consistently reveals significant deviations from rational choice theory, particularly regarding time inconsistency, risk preferences, and reference-dependent behaviors. He has pioneered methods for measuring time preferences and testing cumulative prospect theory, with implications for public policy and behavioral interventions. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2015-2024) shows a cohesive research program centered on behavioral anomalies in decision making. His work bridges laboratory precision with real-world field applications, demonstrating how psychological factors like procrastination and loss aversion manifest in high-stakes environments. Key trends include the development of tailored incentive structures, validation of rank-dependent utility models, and exploration of dynamic inconsistency across domains including health, finance, and public policy. His notable recognition includes: Sloan Foundation Fellowship (2016-2018) Sprenger actively contributes to the academic community through editorial leadership and collaborative research. His work has been featured in Caltech news for projects like "Reducing Procrastination with Tailored Incentives" (2023) and the graduate summer program "Experimental Economics in Theory and Practice" (2023). Though specific advisees aren't listed, his teaching of advanced courses like Experimental Economics (SS 212 abc) indicates mentorship of graduate researchers. He secures significant research funding through fellowships and institutional support, enabling large-scale field experiments. As a core member of CTESS, Sprenger leads a multidisciplinary team conducting cutting-edge experimental economics research. His lab integrates theoretical modeling with empirical validation, focusing on how behavioral insights can improve policy design in areas like tax compliance, vaccination programs, and financial decision making. Current work emphasizes scalable interventions for procrastination and preference-based incentive customization.
Chen Lian is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at UC Berkeley. Holding a PhD from MIT, their research bridges macroeconomics, behavioral economics, and finance, with a focus on bounded rationality, monetary theory, and macro-finance interactions. Education: PhD in Economics, MIT Chen’s work explores how incomplete information and behavioral biases shape macroeconomic outcomes. Key themes include inflation effects on households, fiscal-monetary policy interactions, and financial stress dynamics. They employ heterogeneous-agent models and analyze how micro-level shocks propagate through the economy. Their publications and working papers address topics like credit cycles, demand shock propagation, and the psychological underpinnings of economic decisions. Papers such as Low Interest Rates and Risk Taking (2019) and Confidence and the Propagation of Demand Shocks (2022) highlight their interdisciplinary approach.
Anujit Chakraborty is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of California, Davis . His research bridges Economic Theory , Behavioral Economics , and Experimental Economics , focusing on decision-making under risk and time constraints, procrastination, and present-biased behavior. Education : Ph.D. in Economics (University of British Columbia, 2017), M.S. in Quantitative Economics (Indian Statistical Institute, 2011), B.E. in Electronics Engineering (Jadavpur University, 2009) His work explores procrastination , present bias , prosocial behavior , and interpersonal uncertainty , often using experimental methods to analyze anomalies in economic preferences. Recent publications investigate democracy measurement , news source diversity , and peer-grading systems . Dr. Chakraborty teaches Intermediate Economics (ECN 100B) and Behavioral Economics at both undergraduate and Ph.D. levels.
Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of BonnGermany
Sebastian Kube is a Professor of Behavioral and Experimental Economics at the University of Bonn, Germany. He holds concurrent positions as Senior Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Public Goods, Research Fellow at the Institute for the Future of Labor (IZA), and Vice Director of the BonnEconLab. He also coordinates the European Doctoral Program in Quantitative Economics and serves on multiple editorial/research boards. University of Bonn Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) BonnEconLab European Doctoral Program in Quantitative Economics His experimental research examines social preferences , cooperation mechanisms , incentive design , and norm enforcement . Key areas include: how remuneration schemes affect workplace cooperation, the effectiveness of social sanctions in social dilemmas, and the psychological foundations of environmental behavior. Recent work explores trust communication strategies for maintaining cooperation, information asymmetry effects in group dynamics, and incentive reversal phenomena where higher rewards paradoxically reduce effort. His 2025 publications particularly focus on sanction removal strategies and environmental behavior. Scientific Awards: Excellence in Teaching Award (2017, 2016, 2015, 2012) IZA Young Labor Economist Award (2011) Etienne-Laspeyres Prize (2011) Heinz Sauermann Prize (2004) As Vice Director of BonnEconLab, he oversees experimental infrastructure for economic research. His methodological approach combines field experiments with laboratory studies , often using behavioral game theory frameworks. He has published extensively in top journals including American Economic Review , Journal of Public Economics , and Management Science .
Dimitrios P. Tsomocos is a Professor of Financial Economics at Saïd Business School and a Fellow in Management at St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. He holds a BA, MA, MPhil, and PhD from Yale University and previously worked at the Bank of England. He serves on editorial boards including Annals of Finance and Economic Theory, and is a Senior Research Associate at the Financial Markets Group at the London School of Economics. His educational background includes: University of Oxford: M.A. by resolution, 2002 Yale University: Ph.D. in economics, 1996 Yale University: M.Phil. in economics, 1992 Yale University: M.A. in economics, 1990 Yale University: B.A. in economics, 1989 Professor Tsomocos is a mathematical economist specializing in Central Banking, Banking and regulation, Incomplete asset markets, Systemic risk, Financial instability, and Issues of new financial architecture. His research focuses on contagion, financial fragility, interbank linkages, and the impact of the Basel Accord using General Equilibrium models with incomplete asset markets, money, and endogenous default. He is working toward designing a new paradigm of monetary policy, financial stability analysis, and macroprudential regulation. His recent publications show a consistent focus on financial stability, banking regulation, and the interaction between monetary policy and financial stability. The research spans theoretical modeling of bankruptcy and default in general equilibrium frameworks, practical applications to bank regulation, analysis of commodity cycles in emerging economies, and policy responses to crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. His work frequently employs quantitative methods and general equilibrium modeling to address pressing issues in financial economics. His scientific achievements include: 2004 Bank Sabatell prize for the best work on the economics of banking (for "Book vs. Fair Value Accounting in Banking and Intertemporal Smoothing") Co-development of the Goodhart-Tsomocos model of financial fragility (2003) Testimony to House of Lords for the Economic and Financial Affairs and International Trade Sub Committee's report (2011) Appointment to Research Advisory Board, Central Bank of Russian Federation (2018) Professor Tsomocos has advised numerous PhD students and collaborated extensively with central banks worldwide. He has served as an economic advisor to a major political party in Greece and regularly provides commentary on the Greek economy. His research has had substantial policy impact, with the Goodhart-Tsomocos model implemented by more than ten central banks including the Bank of Bulgaria, Bank of Colombia, Bank of England, and Bank of Korea. He continues to collaborate with researchers from the ECB, Central Bank of the Russian Federation, and Bank of Chile on updated versions of his financial fragility model. He co-developed the Goodhart-Tsomocos model of financial fragility while working at the Bank of England, which has been implemented at various central banks globally. His research group at Oxford continues to refine this model and apply it to contemporary financial stability challenges.
Pavlo Blavatskyy is a Professor of Economics at Montpellier Business School (France). He has held previous academic positions, including Professor roles at Murdoch University (Australia), University of Innsbruck (Austria), and the University of Zurich (Switzerland). His research focuses on decision theory, experimental economics, and behavioral economics, with notable contributions to understanding loss aversion, ambiguity neutrality, and intertemporal choice. He has received the Ig Nobel Prize in Economics (2021) for his work. Blavatskyy holds a Ph.D. in Economics from CERGE-EI, Charles University (Czech Republic) and an M.Phil. in Economics from the University of Cambridge (UK). His teaching disciplines include Economy, and he has authored influential articles in journals like Experimental Economics and Economics Letters . His research themes emphasize decision-making under risk and uncertainty, with studies exploring the Allais paradox, common-ratio effects, and political corruption dynamics in post-Soviet countries. His work bridges theoretical economics with empirical validation through experimental methods. Awards: Ig Nobel Prize in Economics (2021) Advising/Grants: No specific advising or grant details provided in text. No lab affiliations or team collaborations explicitly mentioned in the provided information.
Akshay R. Rao is a Professor and General Mills Chair in Marketing at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management . He holds a PhD in Marketing from Virginia Tech and has served as founding Director of the Institute for Research in Marketing (2005-2010) and Chairman of the Marketing & Logistics Management Department (2003-2006). Rao has also held visiting positions at MIT and Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. Bachelor of Arts in Economics (Honors), Madras University (1978) Master of Business Administration in Marketing, XLRI - Xavier School of Management (1980) Doctor of Philosophy in Marketing, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1986) Rao's research spans consumer behavior, pricing strategy, brand management , and political marketplace segmentation , with recent work examining vaccine hesitancy , political ideology effects on consumer behavior , and fake news dynamics . His work appears in top journals including Journal of Consumer Research , Journal of Marketing , and Harvard Business Review , covering topics from neuromarketing to information economics . Scientific recognition includes: Robert Ferber Award (1987) Harold Maynard Award (2000) Distinguished Alumnus, XLRI (2011) He has testified before the Federal Trade Commission and served on editorial boards of Journal of Consumer Research and Journal of Marketing . Beyond academia, Rao consults for global firms like 3M and Medtronic, and has conducted the Minnesota Orchestra twice in 2024-2025.
Claus Thustrup Kreiner is a Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality (CEBI) at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Economics. He also serves as Area Director of Public Economics in the CESifo network and was co-editor of the Journal of Public Economics from 2014 to 2020. Kreiner has held various leadership positions including Director of the Economic Policy Research Unit (EPRU) since 2005 and Director of the Center of Excellence WEST from 2011-2013. Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University of Copenhagen, 1998 Visiting Ph.D. student, University of York, 1996 M.Sc. in Economics, University of Copenhagen, 1994 B.Sc. in Economics, University of Copenhagen, 1991 Claus Thustrup Kreiner's research primarily focuses on Public Economics , with secondary specializations in Labor Economics, Household Finance, Applied Microeconometrics, and Experimental Economics. His work examines inequality in income, wealth and health, optimal redistribution policy, and behavioral responses to public policy. Kreiner has conducted significant research using Danish administrative data to analyze tax compliance, labor supply responses, and inequality dynamics. His research often involves collaborations with institutions like Columbia University, London School of Economics, and UC Berkeley. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on inequality across multiple dimensions (income, wealth, health, life expectancy), tax policy design and compliance, labor market responses to policy changes, and the intersection of behavioral economics with public policy. Kreiner frequently employs high-frequency administrative data from Denmark to provide empirical evidence on how individuals and households respond to economic policies and shocks. Scientific Awards and Recognition: Appointed Knight of The Order of Dannebrog by Queen Margrethe II (2018) The Invisible Hand Award from the Society of Social Economics (2006, 2001) Best Teacher Award from the Study Board of Economics at University of Copenhagen (2002) Research Fellow at Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), London (2009-) Kreiner has supervised numerous students primarily in Public Economics and has received multiple research grants including from the Danish Social Science Research Council (2003, 2006, 2009), International Growth Center (2009), and Danish National Research Foundation (1998-2003). He has served on important policy bodies including as co-chair of the Danish Economic Council (2010-2014) and member of the Danish Tax Commission (2008-2009). As Director of CEBI (Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality), Kreiner leads a major research center funded by the Danish National Research Foundation. He also directs the Economic Policy Research Unit (EPRU) and has been instrumental in establishing research collaborations through networks like CESifo. His work bridges academic research and policy application, as evidenced by his practical policy experience with government commissions.
Selin A. Malkoc is the FCOB Distinguished Professor and Professor of Marketing at The Ohio State University's Max M. Fisher College of Business. She also holds a courtesy appointment as Professor of Psychology. Her research focuses on consumer behavior, particularly intertemporal decision making and time perception. Dr. Malkoc received her Ph.D. in marketing from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2006) and a B.S. from Bilkent University (2000). Prior to joining Ohio State, she was faculty at the Carlson School of Business, University of Minnesota, and the Olin School of Business, Washington University in St. Louis. Her research examines how consumers make decisions with outcomes spread over time and how they perceive time. She investigates why consumers show impatience despite good intentions and proposes mechanisms to help consumers make better decisions. Her work also explores optimal time allocation between work and leisure to maximize happiness, with significant implications for consumer well-being. Dr. Malkoc's research has appeared in top journals including the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, and Psychological Science. Her work frequently appears in major media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, BBC, and TIME Magazine. Paul E. Green Award recipient William F. O'Dell Award recipient Citation of Excellence Award winner Associate Editor for International Journal of Research in Marketing Editorial Review Board member for Journal of Consumer Research She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses including BUSML 4998 (Undergraduate Research) and BUSML 8250 (Consumer Behavior). Her research on leisure perception, time management, and intertemporal choice has significantly advanced understanding of consumer decision-making processes.
Tomasz Strzalecki is a Professor in the Department of Economics at Harvard University. His research centers on decision theory, with a focus on ambiguity aversion , temporal preferences , stochastic choice , and bounded rationality . He earned his PhD in Economics from Northwestern University in 2008. Education: PhD in Economics (2008), Northwestern University His scholarly work spans theoretical and applied economics, including key contributions to random utility models , dynamic decision-making , and neuroeconomic modeling . Recent publications, such as Stochastic Choice Theory (2025) and Variational Bayes and non-Bayesian Updating (2024), reflect his ongoing exploration of Bayesian inference and behavioral deviations. Earlier work in Econometrica and American Economic Review established foundational models for choice aversion , time inconsistency , and ambiguity evaluation . Tomasz’s research has been published in top journals like Econometrica , American Economic Review , and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , covering themes such as probabilistic sophistication , decision timing , and collective action in development economics. His co-authors include prominent economists like Drew Fudenberg, Mira Frick, and Larry Epstein.
Professor Vinayak Dixit serves as the IAG Chair of Risk in Smart Cities and Director of the Research Centre for Integrated Transport Innovation (rCITI) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), within the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. With a distinguished career spanning academia and research leadership, Professor Dixit has established himself as a leading expert in transportation risk analysis and smart city infrastructure. Professor Dixit's research focuses on studying risk in transportation infrastructure systems, with particular emphasis on highway safety, travel time uncertainty, and resilience against natural and man-made disasters. His work integrates cutting-edge approaches including quantum computing applications for transportation network optimization, analysis of connected and automated vehicles, and development of models for transportation resilience. His research interests span multiple disciplines, bridging civil engineering, transportation science, risk analysis, and computational methods. Professor Dixit has secured significant research funding from prestigious organizations including the United States National Science Foundation, Federal Highway Administration, and the Strategic Highway Research Program of the Transportation Research Board. His leadership extends to directing the Research Centre for Integrated Transport Innovation (rCITI), where he oversees a comprehensive research program addressing critical transportation challenges in smart cities through multiple focus areas including Connected Mobility Services, Deep Data and Digitization, Engineering Smart Cities & Logistics, Human-Centred And Automated Systems Design, and Integrated Infrastructure Strategic Planning. Professor Dixit previously served as the Associate Director of Research for the Gulf Coast Centre for Evacuation and Transportation Resiliency at Louisiana State University, where he founded the Driving Simulator Laboratory in collaboration with other faculty members. This demonstrates his longstanding commitment to innovative research infrastructure development and interdisciplinary collaboration across engineering, economics, computer science, and urban planning to address complex transportation challenges in the 21st century.
