My research has covered a broad range of topics in public and labour economics, including charitable giving, pensions and retirement and welfare reform. I have published in the American Economic Review, Journal of Political Economy, Economic Journal, American Economic Journal, Journal of Public Economics, Journal of Health Economics and Journal of Economic Behaviour and Organisation, as well as non-econ journals. I am currently working on topics in charitable giving and diversity in economics.
Working papers/ work in progress
Local crime and pro-social attitudes: Evidence from charitable donations (with Carlo Peroni, Kimberley Scharf, Sasha Taleva, and Linh Vi) pdf (revise and re-submit)
Do crises increase parochial behavior? Evidence from donations during COVID (with Esteban Jaimovich and Derrick Xu) pdf (submitted)
Going back to the high schools: Changing perceptions of economics (with Arun Advani and Laura Harvey) pdf (submitted)
Does setting a goal work? Field experimental evidence from peer-to-peer fundraising (with Mark Otoni-Wilhelm) pdf
Published papers
(2026) Gender gaps in economics: The role of beliefs Economica (with Maria Georgouli Loupi and Danielle Guizzo) pdf
(2025) Do female experts face an authority gap? Evidence from economics Journal of Economic Behavior and Organisation (with Hans Sievertsen) pdf
Great article in the FT
VoxEU summary
And an interview on VoxTalks
A summary in the Economics Observatory
Someone even made a TikTok video about it
(2024) The gender gap in expert voice: Evidence from economics Public Understanding of Science (with Hans Sievertsen) pdf. Summary in the Economics Observatory
(2024) Measuring academic performance in a more inclusive way Research Evaluation (with Erin Hengel and Almudena Sevilla)
(2022) Lift and Shift: The effect of fundraising interventions in charity space and time AEJ: Economic Policy (with Mark Otoni Wilhelm and Kimberley Scharf) Winner, best paper award, ARNOVA conference 2018. Featured as an AEA journal research highlight
(2021) Economics of Philanthropic Tax Incentives in Routledge Handbook of Taxation and Philanthropy (with Jim Andreoni)
(2021) Altruism Born of Suffering: The impact of an adverse health shock on pro-social behavior Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization (with Nicole Black, Elaine de Gruyter and Denis Petrie) Featured in this VoxEU podcast
(2021) Women in Economics: A UK perspective Oxford Review of Economic Policy (with Danula Gamage, Almudena Sevilla) Summary in CSWEP newsletter
(2020) Baby steps: Childcare during the COVID pandemic Oxford Review of Economic Policy (with Almudena Sevilla) Summary (VoxEU). Discussed in an OXREP webinar and with Sarah Vine on her first podcast
(2020) The completion effect in charitable fundraising Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization (with Nichole Argo, David Klinowksi and Tamar Krishnamurti)
(2018) Getting a healthy start: The effectiveness of targeted benefits for improving dietary choice Journal of Health Economics (with Rachel Griffith and Stephanie von Hinke)
(2017) Wolves in sheep's clothing: Is non-profit status used as a signal of quality? Journal of Health Economics (with Daniel Jones and Carol Propper)
(2016) Do consumers gamble to convexify? Journal of Economic Behavior and Organisation (with Tom Crossley and Hamish Low)
(2016) Relational altruism and giving in social groups Journal of Public Economics (with Kimberley Scharf)
(2016) Can simple prompts increase bequest giving? Field evidence from a legal call centre Journal of Economic Behavior and Organisation (with Michael Sanders). Summarized in the Third Sector and also discussed here. This research underpinned a REF2021 Impact Case Study. We also did a follow-up study with the Behavioural Insights Team
(2015) Competitive helping in online giving Current Biology (with Nichola Raihani). Summary in The Conversation and some Guardian coverage
(2015) Booms, busts and retirement timing Economica (with Richard Disney and Anita Ratcliffe)
(2015) The price elasticity of charitable giving: Does the form of tax relief matter International Tax and Public Finance (with Kimberley Scharf)
This was the academic output of a report for HMT/ HMRC.
(2015) Peer effects in charitable giving: Evidence from the (running) field Economic Journal (with Frank Windmeijer and Edmund Wright)
(2014) Herding Cats? Management and performance in UK universities Economic Journal (with John McCormack and Carol Propper)
(2014) Do grants to charities crowd out other income? Evidence from the UK Journal of Public Economics (with Jim Andreoni and Abigail Payne)
(2014) Mission and motivation in the public sector: Evidence from the World Values Survey Theory and Decision (with Ed Cowley)
(2012) An integrated approach for evaluating the effectiveness of landslide risk reduction in unplanned communities Natural Hazards (with Liz Holcolm, Edmund Wright and Malcolm Anderson)
(2011) Does welfare reform affect fertility? Evidence from the UK Journal of Population Economics (with Mike Brewer and Anita Ratcliffe)
(2011) What determines the return to education: An extra year or a hurdle cleared? Economics of Education Review (with Matt Dickson)
(2011) How important is pro-social behaviour in the delivery of public services? Journal of Public Economics (with Paul Gregg, Paul Grout, Anita Ratcliffe and Frank Windmeijer)
(2009) Welfare reform and lone parents in the UK Economic Journal (with Paul Gregg and Susan Harkness)
(2006) Retirement in the UK Oxford Review of Economic Policy (with James Banks)
(2006) Persistency of pension contributions: Evidence from the British Household Panel Survey Journal of Pension Economics and Finance
(2006) The retirement-consumption puzzle and involuntary early retirement: Evidence from the British Household Panel Survey Economic Journal
(2002) Asset holding and consumption volatility Journal of Political Economy (with Orazio Attanasio and James Banks)
(2002) The labour supply effects of the abolition of the earnings rule Economic Journal (with Richard Disney)
(2002) Retirement incentives and labour supply in the UK Economic Journal (with Richard Blundell and Costas Meghir)
(1999) Is there a retirement savings puzzle? American Economic Review (with James Banks and Richard Blundell)
Working papers/ work in progress
Local crime and pro-social attitudes: Evidence from charitable donations (with Carlo Peroni, Kimberley Scharf, Sasha Taleva, and Linh Vi) pdf (revise and re-submit)
Do crises increase parochial behavior? Evidence from donations during COVID (with Esteban Jaimovich and Derrick Xu) pdf (submitted)
Going back to the high schools: Changing perceptions of economics (with Arun Advani and Laura Harvey) pdf (submitted)
Does setting a goal work? Field experimental evidence from peer-to-peer fundraising (with Mark Otoni-Wilhelm) pdf
Published papers
(2026) Gender gaps in economics: The role of beliefs Economica (with Maria Georgouli Loupi and Danielle Guizzo) pdf
(2025) Do female experts face an authority gap? Evidence from economics Journal of Economic Behavior and Organisation (with Hans Sievertsen) pdf
Great article in the FT
VoxEU summary
And an interview on VoxTalks
A summary in the Economics Observatory
Someone even made a TikTok video about it
(2024) The gender gap in expert voice: Evidence from economics Public Understanding of Science (with Hans Sievertsen) pdf. Summary in the Economics Observatory
(2024) Measuring academic performance in a more inclusive way Research Evaluation (with Erin Hengel and Almudena Sevilla)
(2022) Lift and Shift: The effect of fundraising interventions in charity space and time AEJ: Economic Policy (with Mark Otoni Wilhelm and Kimberley Scharf) Winner, best paper award, ARNOVA conference 2018. Featured as an AEA journal research highlight
(2021) Economics of Philanthropic Tax Incentives in Routledge Handbook of Taxation and Philanthropy (with Jim Andreoni)
(2021) Altruism Born of Suffering: The impact of an adverse health shock on pro-social behavior Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization (with Nicole Black, Elaine de Gruyter and Denis Petrie) Featured in this VoxEU podcast
(2021) Women in Economics: A UK perspective Oxford Review of Economic Policy (with Danula Gamage, Almudena Sevilla) Summary in CSWEP newsletter
(2020) Baby steps: Childcare during the COVID pandemic Oxford Review of Economic Policy (with Almudena Sevilla) Summary (VoxEU). Discussed in an OXREP webinar and with Sarah Vine on her first podcast
(2020) The completion effect in charitable fundraising Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization (with Nichole Argo, David Klinowksi and Tamar Krishnamurti)
(2018) Getting a healthy start: The effectiveness of targeted benefits for improving dietary choice Journal of Health Economics (with Rachel Griffith and Stephanie von Hinke)
(2017) Wolves in sheep's clothing: Is non-profit status used as a signal of quality? Journal of Health Economics (with Daniel Jones and Carol Propper)
(2016) Do consumers gamble to convexify? Journal of Economic Behavior and Organisation (with Tom Crossley and Hamish Low)
(2016) Relational altruism and giving in social groups Journal of Public Economics (with Kimberley Scharf)
(2016) Can simple prompts increase bequest giving? Field evidence from a legal call centre Journal of Economic Behavior and Organisation (with Michael Sanders). Summarized in the Third Sector and also discussed here. This research underpinned a REF2021 Impact Case Study. We also did a follow-up study with the Behavioural Insights Team
(2015) Competitive helping in online giving Current Biology (with Nichola Raihani). Summary in The Conversation and some Guardian coverage
(2015) Booms, busts and retirement timing Economica (with Richard Disney and Anita Ratcliffe)
(2015) The price elasticity of charitable giving: Does the form of tax relief matter International Tax and Public Finance (with Kimberley Scharf)
This was the academic output of a report for HMT/ HMRC.
(2015) Peer effects in charitable giving: Evidence from the (running) field Economic Journal (with Frank Windmeijer and Edmund Wright)
(2014) Herding Cats? Management and performance in UK universities Economic Journal (with John McCormack and Carol Propper)
(2014) Do grants to charities crowd out other income? Evidence from the UK Journal of Public Economics (with Jim Andreoni and Abigail Payne)
(2014) Mission and motivation in the public sector: Evidence from the World Values Survey Theory and Decision (with Ed Cowley)
(2012) An integrated approach for evaluating the effectiveness of landslide risk reduction in unplanned communities Natural Hazards (with Liz Holcolm, Edmund Wright and Malcolm Anderson)
(2011) Does welfare reform affect fertility? Evidence from the UK Journal of Population Economics (with Mike Brewer and Anita Ratcliffe)
(2011) What determines the return to education: An extra year or a hurdle cleared? Economics of Education Review (with Matt Dickson)
(2011) How important is pro-social behaviour in the delivery of public services? Journal of Public Economics (with Paul Gregg, Paul Grout, Anita Ratcliffe and Frank Windmeijer)
(2009) Welfare reform and lone parents in the UK Economic Journal (with Paul Gregg and Susan Harkness)
(2006) Retirement in the UK Oxford Review of Economic Policy (with James Banks)
(2006) Persistency of pension contributions: Evidence from the British Household Panel Survey Journal of Pension Economics and Finance
(2006) The retirement-consumption puzzle and involuntary early retirement: Evidence from the British Household Panel Survey Economic Journal
(2002) Asset holding and consumption volatility Journal of Political Economy (with Orazio Attanasio and James Banks)
(2002) The labour supply effects of the abolition of the earnings rule Economic Journal (with Richard Disney)
(2002) Retirement incentives and labour supply in the UK Economic Journal (with Richard Blundell and Costas Meghir)
(1999) Is there a retirement savings puzzle? American Economic Review (with James Banks and Richard Blundell)
