Jo Laban
College: The Business School
I am a final-year PhD student at the University of Exeter. My research focuses on the influence of culture on economic decision making, especially in situations involving risk or ambiguity. This question is important because, as trade barriers are lowered and migration rates rise, there is an increasing need to understand the preferences of people from all over the world. I am investigating this question empirically using experimental methods.
In addition to my research on culture, I am interested in how academics can use their skills to inform policy. I recently completed an internship with a Government department and I am keen to work on policy-relevant topics in the future. I am currently looking for a postdoctoral research or faculty position for when I graduate. The areas of research I am most interested in include behavioural economics, applied econometrics, and development economics.
Before coming to Exeter, I spent a year at the University of Nottingham where I completed an MSc in Behavioural Economics. For my Masters dissertation, I investigated cultural differences in anomalies in individual choice such as the certainty, reflection, and isolation effects, and loss aversion.
My undergraduate degree is from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. After graduating from Canterbury with a BSc and BCom (Hons), I spent three years working as a Statistical Analyst for Statistics New Zealand, before coming to the UK to pursue a more research-oriented career.
