Meet our new Graduate Students

My research interests are in macroeconomics and monetary economics. I am particularly interested in micro-level heterogeneity and its implications for business cycles and the transmission of monetary policy. 

Currently, I am working on projects that study firms' price-setting behavior and inflation dynamics, using both microdata and quantitative models. 

I applied to the IIES because of its strong academic reputation in my research areas. Having worked as an RA at the IIES for the past two years, I have also come to appreciate its welcoming and stimulating environment, which made me even more motivated to join as a graduate student. 

Giuliana Ghia

My research examines how culture and identity shape beliefs about out-group members and drive the evolution of attitudes and social norms. I am also interested in on how these norms influence human capital investments in both developed and developing contexts.

Most recently, I have investigated how lower-cost access to direct democratic tools, such as popular referenda, affects civic engagement in Italy. 

I look forward to joining the IIES, whose vibrant academic environment and collaborative community provide an ideal home to advance my research.

Jacob Granqvist

My research interests lie mainly in macroeconomics. 

Currently, I am working on a project related to dissent in central bank communication. 

I applied to the IIES because of its inclusive research atmosphere. I believe it will be a good place to grow my research ideas.

Simon Handreke

My research interests lie broadly in labor and public economics.

I am currently working on a project examining how a parent's occupation and social class shape their children's life trajectories. 

After spending the past two years as a Research Assistant at the IIES, I am thrilled to now join the Institute as a Graduate Student. I look forward to the coming years of stimulating exchange and collaboration with brilliant minds.

Felix Hasselblad

My research focuses on how applications of machine learning can improve markets, public sector efficiency, and overall help solve societal problems.

One of my projects is a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of large language models in Swedish public administration. Another project explores alternatives to random assignment as a way of addressing the missing labels problem in machine learning.

I chose the IIES for its accomplished and friendly faculty and its vibrant, talented community of PhD students.

Jiaqi Luo

My research interests lie in macro labor and monetary policy.

One of my ongoing projects investigates the bounded rationality in job searching, in which workers' imperfect perceptions and limited memory form feedback loops that affect individual employment outcomes and aggregate labor market conditions. Another one focuses on understanding how rising market concentration allows incumbent firms to systematically attract innovative talent away from entrepreneurship. 

The IIES provides me an opportunity to engage within this vibrant academic community, collaborate with other fellow researchers, and develop my macro research.

Matteo Pianella

My research lies at the intersection of development and health economics, with a particular focus on mental health in Sub-Saharan Africa. I am interested in understanding both the demand and supply of health services, and how social norms, beliefs, and infrastructure shape access to and quality of care.

One of my current projects is a randomized controlled trial in rural Kenya, where I elicit willingness to pay for psychotherapy using a Becker–DeGroot–Marschak design. The study aims to identify the key barriers to accessing mental health services , such as stigma, financial constraints, or traditional beliefs, and to better understand how these shape demand.

I chose the IIES because of its vibrant environment for applied microeconomics, its strong tradition of rigorous empirical work, and the opportunity to engage with faculty and peers working on closely related questions in development economics and health.  

Alessandro Pisa

My research interests lie at the intersection of macroeconomics, industrial organization, and labor economics, with projects examining firm market power in product and labor markets, the role of innovation and intangible investments in productivity and growth, and the impact of uncertainty – legal, political, and market – on firm decisions.

In one project, I am developing new data and quantitative metrics on legislative uncertainty and quality in Italy, to analyze its evolution and impact on the economy from 1861 to the present.

I chose the IIES because of its vibrant research community, its collaborative environment, and the opportunity to interact closely with faculty and peers who share my research interests.