Experts

Matt is a political economist specialising in global economic governance, the nature of globalisation, trade and development, the rising powers, and, increasingly, narcopolitics and drug policy. He previously worked at the University of the West Indies, and has regional expertise on Latin America and the Caribbean. He is based at the University of Sheffield and also co-directs the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative at the Overseas Development Institute in London.

Esther’s research analyses how economic agents make decisions in social dilemmas, the role of incentives and how these incentives are affected by contextual factors – such as institutional change. Specifically, her research focuses on pro-social behaviour, including corporate social responsibility, provision of public goods and donations. Her research uses different methods, including behavioural game theory and experimental economics, and embraces multi-disciplinary approaches.

Jo Blanden is Professor in Economics at the University of Surrey and a Research Associate at the Centre for Economic Performance, LSE. Her research covers a range of issues in  Family, Education and Labour Economics.  She has contributed to the literature on social mobility, emphasising  the role of education, and more recently home ownership in intergenerational transmissions. She has evaluated how policy in early years can influence children’s attainment and reduce development gaps

Nicholas (Nick) Bloom is a Professor of Economics at Stanford University, and a Co-Director of the Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His research focuses on management practices and uncertainty. He previously worked at the UK Treasury and McKinsey & Company.

Jack Blundell is a PhD Candidate in Economics at Stanford University. His academic research covers intergenerational mobility, income volatility and the effectiveness of government policies surrounding the gender pay gap. He has written on the impact of economic downturns on different types of workers, with a special focus on the self-employed in the current crisis.

David Bogle is a PhD candidate at Queen’s University Belfast and is a Research Student at the Queen’s University Centre for Economic History. His research focuses on the evolution of insurance, regulation and financial markets.