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Research Groups

The School has several active research groups in Empirical Microeconomics, Behavioural and Experimental Economics, Environmental Economics, Macroeconomics, Financial Economics, International Economics, Public Economics and Economic History.

Our faculty work on a wide range of topics in Empirical Microeconomics, including Health Economics, Labour Economics, Economics of Education, Development Economics, many with applications to public policy.

Core faculty: (opens in a new window)Kevin Denny, (opens in a new window)Paul Devereux, (opens in a new window)Orla Doyle, (opens in a new window)Benjamin Elsner, (opens in a new window)Enda Hargaden, (opens in a new window)Christopher Jepsen, (opens in a new window)Fabrice Kampfen, (opens in a new window)Kanika Kapur, (opens in a new window)David Madden, Eoghan O’Neill (coordinator), (opens in a new window)Lisa Ryan, (opens in a new window)Margaret Samahita, (opens in a new window)Zuzanna Studnicka, (opens in a new window)Marta Talevi, (opens in a new window)Frank Walsh (coordinator), (opens in a new window)Ciara Whelan, Alex Yarkin (coordinator)

Selected recent publications:

  • Chevalier, A., Elsner, B., Lichter, A., & Pestel, N. (2024). Forced migration and local public policies: Evidence from post-war West Germany. Journal of the European Economic Association, 22(2), 915-962.
  • Doyle, O. (2024). Can early intervention have a sustained effect on human capital?. Journal of Human Resources, 59(5), 1599-1636.
  • Carruthers, C. K., Fox, W. F., & Jepsen, C. (2023). What Knox achieved: Estimated effects of tuition-free community college on attainment and earnings. Journal of Human Resources.
  • Black, S. E., Devereux, P. J., Landaud, F., & Salvanes, K. G. (2023). Where does wealth come from? Measuring lifetime resources in Norway. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 37(4), 115-136.
  • Badaoui, E., & Walsh, F. (2022). Productivity, non-compliance and the minimum wage. Journal of Development Economics, 155, 102778.



The Behavioural and Experimental Economics group is made up of researchers studying individual decision-making and strategic interactions using theory and laboratory, field, and online experiments.

Core faculty: (opens in a new window)Vessela Daskalova, (opens in a new window)Diogo Geraldes, (opens in a new window)Oana Peia, (opens in a new window)Lisa Ryan, (opens in a new window)Margaret Samahita (coordinator), (opens in a new window)Marta Talevi


Selected recent publications:

  • Getik, D., Islam, M., & Samahita, M. (2024). The inelastic demand for affirmative action. European Economic Review, 170, 104862.
  • Baranski, A., Geraldes, D., Kovaliukaite, A., & Tremewan, J. (2024). An experiment on gender representation in majoritarian bargaining. Management Science, 70(10), 6622-6636.
  • Ek, C., & Samahita, M. (2023). Too much commitment? An online experiment with tempting YouTube content. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 208, 21-38.
  • Bayona, A., & Peia, O. (2022). Financial contagion and the wealth effect: An experimental study. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 200, 1184-1202.
  • Daskalova, V., & Vriend, N. J. (2021). Learning frames. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 191, 78-96.

The Environmental Economics group consists of applied microeconomists working on a variety of topics related to the environment, energy, and climate change.

Core faculty: (opens in a new window)Benjamin Elsner, (opens in a new window)Aisling Reynolds-Feighan, (opens in a new window)Lisa Ryan, (opens in a new window)Marta Talevi (coordinator)

Selected recent publications:

  • Bellani, L., Ceolotto, S., Elsner, B., & Pestel, N. (2024). The political fallout of air pollution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(18), e2314428121.
  • Laffan, K., Meles, T., & Ryan, L. (2024). The greenest of green: Preferences for homegrown renewables in Ireland. Energy Research & Social Science, 114, 103577.
  • Elsner, B., & Wozny, F. (2023). Long-run exposure to low-dose radiation reduces cognitive performance. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 118, 102785.
  • Talevi, M., Pattanayak, S. K., Das, I., Lewis, J. J., & Singha, A. K. (2022). Speaking from experience: Preferences for cooking with biogas in rural India. Energy Economics, 107, 105796.



Our faculty work on topics including forecasting, international finance, fiscal policy, monetary policy, banking, and the role of financial intermediaries.

Core faculty: (opens in a new window)Constantin Burgi, (opens in a new window)Yota Deli, (opens in a new window)Vincent Hogan, (opens in a new window)Oana Peia, (opens in a new window)Mengdi Song (coordinator), (opens in a new window)Karl Whelan, Dan Xie (coordinator), Alex Yarkin

Selected recent publications:

  • Ryan, E., & Whelan, K. (2023). A model of QE, reserve demand, and the money multiplier. Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, 55(2-3), 407-439.
  • Peia, O., & Romelli, D. (2022). Did financial frictions stifle R&D investment in Europe during the great recession?. Journal of International Money and Finance, 120, 102263.



Our faculty work on topics related to international trade and foreign direct investment.

Core faculty: (opens in a new window)Ronald Davies, (opens in a new window)Nora Strecker, (opens in a new window)Zuzanna Studnicka (coordinator), Dan Xie

Selected recent publications:

  • Broocks, A., & Studnicka, Z. (2024). Gravity and trade in video on demand services. Review of World Economics, 1-39.
  • Lawless, M., & Studnicka, Z. (2024). Products or markets: What type of experience matters for export survival?. Review of World Economics, 160(1), 75-98.
  • Davies, R. B., Siedschlag, I., & Studnicka, Z. (2021). The impact of taxes on the extensive and intensive margins of FDI. International Tax and Public Finance, 28(2), 434-464.
  • Egger, P. H., Strecker, N. M., & Zoller-Rydzek, B. (2020). Estimating bargaining-related tax advantages of multinational firms. Journal of International Economics, 122, 103258.



The Public Economics group includes faculty studying the effectiveness of government revenue and expenditure policies, the determinants of poverty, and the causes of income inequality.

Core faculty: (opens in a new window)Ronald Davies, (opens in a new window)Yota Deli, (opens in a new window)Diogo Geraldes, (opens in a new window)Enda Hargaden  (coordinator), (opens in a new window)David Madden, (opens in a new window)Nora Strecker (coordinator)

Selected recent publications:

  • Baranski, A., Geraldes, D., Kovaliukaite, A., & Tremewan, J. (2024). An experiment on gender representation in majoritarian bargaining. Management Science, 70(10), 6622-6636.
  • Deli, Y & Karamalis, P. (2023). Quantitative easing and household wealth inequality across the euro area. Reference Module in Social Sciences, Elsevier.
  • Fox, W. F., Hargaden, E. P., & Luna, L. (2022). Statutory incidence and sales tax compliance: Evidence from Wayfair. Journal of Public Economics, 213, 104716.
  • Davies, R.B., Han, Y, Hynes, K. & Wang Y. (2023). Competition in taxes and intellectual property right. Review of International Economics, 31(3):931-955.

This group’s research focuses on Economic History (of Ireland and other places, periods, and topics), and long-run Economic Growth.

Core faculty: (opens in a new window)Alan de Bromhead  (coordinator), (opens in a new window)Morgan Kelly, Alex Yarkin

Selected recent publications:

  • de Bromhead, A., & O'Rourke, K. H. (2024). Should history change the way we think about populism?. The Economic History Review, 77(3), 1086-1109.
  • de Bromhead, A., Jordan, D., Kennedy, F., & Seddon, J. (2023). Sterling's farewell symphony: The end of the Sterling Area revisited. The Economic History Review, 76(2), 415-444.
  • de Bromhead, A., & Lyons, R. C. (2023). Social housing and the spread of population: Evidence from twentieth century Ireland. Journal of Urban Economics, 138, 103603.
  • Kelly, M., Mokyr, J., & Ó Gráda, C. (2023). The mechanics of the Industrial Revolution. Journal of Political Economy, 131(1), 59-94.
  • Kelly, M., & Gráda, C. Ó. (2022). Connecting the scientific and Industrial Revolutions: The role of practical mathematics. The Journal of Economic History, 82(3), 841-873.



Contact UCD School of Economics

Newman Building (Room G201) University College Dublin Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
T: 353 1 716 8335/8188/8505/8272 | Location Map(opens in a new window)