Andrea Mottola

About

I'm a Ph.D. student in Economics at the University of Cagliari, specializing in macroeconomics with a focus on structural change and heterogeneous agent models. My research studies how uncertainty shapes structural transformation and labour-market dynamics, combining continuous- and discrete-time numerical methods with custom neural-network architectures for solving highly nonlinear, multidimensional dynamic programming problems. In 2025–2026 I was a Visiting Ph.D. Researcher at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, hosted by Prof. Matthias Kredler. My working paper "Does Risk Shape Economies? Income Volatility and Structural Change" has been presented at international conferences and seminars including LAGV (Marseille), SAEe (Barcelona) and the International PhD Meeting in Economics (Thessaloniki). I am also co-authoring a book on Financial Economics. 

Alongside my academic work, I apply the same quantitative toolkit as a freelance data analyst and machine-learning specialist for private and institutional clients. Since 2025 this has included a role as Statistical & Econometric Analyst at INAPP, where I built a large-scale record-linkage pipeline and apply reweighting, pseudo-panel and machine-learning techniques for causal analysis.

Previously, I was a Research Assistant at the University of Cagliari on a national (PRIN) project on skill-biased technological change, where I developed and implemented heterogeneous-agent macroeconomic models in MATLAB. Before that, as a Quantitative Economist at the Single Resolution Board in Brussels, I contributed to benchmarking analyses and the assessment of resolution data for significant financial institutions, focusing on derivatives and their treatment under the BRRD/SRMR resolution framework. 

My professional experience also includes over 15 years with an Italian company, where I managed logistics and quality supervision for military and industrial supplies. This role honed my skills in project coordination, compliance with EU regulations, and effective communication with government and commercial stakeholders. 

My academic journey has been marked by a commitment to balancing rigorous studies with full-time professional responsibilities. I graduated summa cum laude with a Master's degree in Economics, Finance and Public Policy, focusing on advanced macroeconomics, asset pricing and financial markets, with a dissertation on the effect of an unemployment benefit on the behaviour of heterogeneous agents. My Bachelor's degree, also completed at the University of Cagliari, emphasized economics with a dissertation on military expenditures.

Through these diverse experiences, and by attending several international PhD and summer schools, I have developed strong analytical skills, proficiency in tools such as Python, MATLAB, Stata, R, SQL and VBA, and hands-on expertise with neural networks, alongside the ability to communicate complex concepts effectively to diverse audiences. I am passionate about combining academic research with practical applications to address macroeconomic challenges and drive innovation in data-driven environments.