Bristol School of Economics Researchers in the News
Our faculty members' research has been making headlines in major media outlets. Here are some recent highlights:
What 630,000 Paintings Reveal About Economic Development
Professor Yanos Zylberberg's research (with Clément Gorin and Stephan Heblich) uses machine learning to analyze emotions in 630,000 historical paintings from 1400 onwards, revealing how art reflects societal economic conditions. The research was featured in The Economist and covered by the Hindustan Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and other international outlets. Read the research paper
Do Female Experts Face an Authority Gap?
Professor Sarah Smith (with Hans Sievertsen) investigated whether female economists are perceived differently than male economists when offering expert opinions. Surprisingly, they found that female experts are more persuasive than male experts expressing the same opinions. The research was published in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization and featured in the Financial Times, with a non-technical summary on VoxEU and even a TikTok video.
Gendered Language in Job Advertisements
Dr Zahra Siddique (with Sugat Chaturvedi and Kanika Mahajan) examined how gendered language in job advertisements affects applicant behavior in India. Published in Labour Economics, the research shows that implicit gender associations in job ad text significantly influence the gender composition of applicants. Coverage includes The Telegraph India, Ideas for India, and Economics Observatory.
How to Spot a Genius
Associate Professor Patrick Gaule's work on identifying and nurturing global talent featured on the cover of The Economist's international edition. His research (with Ruchir Agarwal) reveals that talented youth from developing countries face significant barriers to reaching their potential, with profound implications for global innovation.
Britain's Medical Residency Matching System
Dr Battal Doğan (with Aytek Erdil) spoke with The Economist about their research on UK medical residency matching. Their work was covered in a June 2025 article titled "Britain's newest way of demoralising doctors", examining flaws in the UK Foundation Programme matching process. Research paper available here.
Health and Development Research
Professor Stephanie von Hinke was interviewed on BBC Radio Bristol in October 2025 about her research on genetics, early life environments, and health outcomes over the life course. Her work was also featured in press releases published by Medical Xpress and Tech Explorist.