Embedded Files
Who: I am an associate professor of economics interested in health and human capital formation.
What: My research fields are health economics, social science genomics, and applied micro.
Where: University of Bologna, department of economics.
Why: I don't really know why. For more info, you can contact me at pietro.biroli [at] unibo.it
My CV, google scholar profile, ORCid, and github
My bluesky @pietrobiroli
Bio
Bio
I am an associate professor of economics at the University of Bologna. I obtained my PhD in economics from the University of Chicago, and then was UBS Foundation Assistant Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Zurich. I am a research affiliate at IZA, fRDB, HCEO, CHILD, CAGE, CEPR, IFS, RFBerlin, and CESifo.
My research focuses on the early origins and life cycle evolution of health and human capital. I explore the importance of genetics, family investment, and early childhood interventions in explaining health and economic inequality. With my work, I aim to understand the mechanisms through which effective policy interventions and optimal choices of investment can help mitigate innate inequalities and promote health and human capital development.
More broadly, I am interested in Health Economics, Applied Econometrics, and Social Science Genetics.
Publications
Publications
Biroli, Galama, von Hinke, van Kippersluis, Rietveld, & Thom
Economics and Econometrics of Gene-Environment Interplay
The Review of Economic Studies; (2025)
(arxiv working paper, code, FAQ)
Malanchini, Allegrini, Nivard, Biroli, Rimfeld, Cheesman, Stumm, Demange, van Bergen, Grotzinger, Raffington, De la Fuente, Pingault, Tucker-Drob, Harden, Plomin.
Genetic associations between non-cognitive skills and academic achievement over development.
Nature Human Behavior; 8, pages2034–2046 (2024)
(bioRxiv working paper, media: Altmetric, youtube summary, youtube findings)
Baker, Biroli, van Kippersluis, & von Hinke,
Advantageous early-life environments cushion the genetic risk for ischemic heart disease.
In PNAS, Vol. 121, No. 27, e2314056121; (2024)
Escobar Carias, Baranov, Maselko, Biroli, & Bhalotra
Maternal Mental Health Responses to COVID-19 Shocks and Uncertainty in Rural Pakistan
in AEA Papers and Proceedings, VOL. 114, pp. 407–11, (2024)
Sevim, Baranov, Bhalotra, Maselko, & Biroli,
Trajectories of Early Childhood Skill Development and Maternal Mental Health
in Journal of Human Resources, 1222-12693R3; (2024)
Koellinger, Okbay, Kweon, Schweinert, Karlsson Linnér, Goebel, Richte, Reiber, Zweck, Belsky, Biroli, Mata, Tucker-Drob, Harden, Wagner, & Hetwig,
Cohort profile: Genetic data in the German Socio-Economic Panel Innovation Sample (SOEP-G)
in Plos one, 18(11), p.e0294896. (2023)
van Kippersluis, Biroli, Dias Pereira, Galama, von Hinke, Meddens, Muslimova, Slob, de Vlaming, & Rietveld,
Overcoming attenuation bias in regressions using polygenic indices.
In Nature Communications (2023)
Bierut, Biroli, Galama, & Thom,
In Journal of Economic Psychology. (2023)
Dias Pereira, Biroli, Galama, von Hinke, van Kippersluis, Rietveld, & Thom,
Gene–Environment Interplay in the Social Sciences.
In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Economics and Finance. Oxford University Press. (2022)
Baranov, Frost, Hagaman, Simmons, Manzoor, Biroli, Bhalotra, Rahman, Sikander, Maselko,
SSM - Mental Health, 100082. (2022)
Biroli, Bosworth, Della Giusta, Di Girolamo, Jaworska, & Vollen,
Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 3259 (2021)
(HCEO working paper, data and code, slides, media: Altmetric)
Demange, Malanchini, Mallard, Biroli, Cox, Grotzinger, Tucker-Drob, Abdellaoui, Arseneault, Caspi, Corcoran, Domingue, Mitchell, van Bergen, Boomsma, Harris, Moffitt, Poulton, Prinz, Sugden, Wertz, Williams, de Zeeuw, Belsky, Harden, Nivard,
Investigating the Genetic Architecture of Non-Cognitive Skills Using GWAS-by-Subtraction.
Nature Genetics. 53, 35–44 (2021)
(FAQ, factsheet, bioRxiv working paper, code, tutoria for GWAS by subtraction , noncog and cog sumstats, media: Altmetric)
Parental Beliefs about Returns to Child Health Investments.
Journal of Econometrics, ISSN 0304-4076. (2020).
(IZA working paper, data and code)
Maselko, Sikander, Turner, Bates, Ahmad, Atif, Baranov, Bhalotra, Bibi, Bibi, Bilal, Biroli, Chung, Gallis, Hagaman, Jamil, Lemasters, & Donnell,
The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(9), 775–787. (2020).
Baranov, Bhalotra, Biroli, & Maselko,
American Economic Review, 110 (3): 824-59. (2020).
(IZA working paper, data and code, slides, econimate video, Media: The Guardian, The Economist, AER Highlights)
Maselko, Hagaman, Bates, Bhalotra, Biroli, Gallis, O'Donnel, Sikander, Rahman,
Social Science & Medicine, 112421, ISSN 0277-9536. (2019).
(media: Altmetric)
Karlsson Linnér, Biroli, Kong, Meddens, Wedow, Fontana, … , Beauchamp,
Nature Genetics, 51: 245–257. (2019).
(FAQ, bioRxiv working paper, sumstats, media: Altmetric, 3sat documentary)
Biroli, Del Boca, Heckman, J. J., Pettler-Heckman, L., Koh, Kuperman, Mokdan, Pronzazo, Ziff,
Evaluation of the Reggio Approach to Early Childhood Education.
Research in Economics, 72(1): 1–32. (2018).
(IZA working paper, appendix, code. media: PlumX)
Biroli, Mourre, & Turrini, "The adjustment mechanism in the Euro Area." Intereconomics, 48(3), 159–166. (2013).
Buti, Turrini, van den Noord, & Biroli, "Reforms and Re-elections in OECD Countries." Economic Policy, 25(61), 61–116. (2010)
Buti, Turrini, van den Noord, & Biroli, "Defying the ‘Juncker Curse’: Can Reformist Governments Be Re-elected?" Empirica, 36(1), 65–100. (2009).
Working Papers
Working Papers
Tracing the Genetic Footprints of the UK National Health Service (arXiv preprint, Q&A)
with Nicolau Martin-Bassols, Elisabetta De Cao, Massimo Anelli, Stephanie von Hinke, Silvia Mendolia
Abstract: The establishment of the UK National Health Service (NHS) in July 1948 was one of the most consequential health policy interventions of the twentieth century, providing universal and free access to medical care and substantially expanding maternal and infant health services. In this paper, we estimate the causal effect of the NHS introduction on early-life mortality, and we test whether survival is selective. We adopt a regression discontinuity design under local randomization, comparing individuals born just before and just after July 1948. Leveraging newly digitized weekly death records, we document a significant decline in stillbirths and infant mortality following the introduction of the NHS, the latter driven primarily by reductions in deaths from congenital conditions and diarrhea. We then use polygenic indexes (PGIs), fixed at conception, to track changes in population composition, showing that cohorts born at or after the NHS introduction exhibit higher PGIs associated with contextually-adverse traits (e.g., depression, COPD, and preterm birth) and lower PGIs associated with contextually-valued traits (e.g., educational attainment, self-rated health, and pregnancy length), with effect sizes as large as 7.5% of a standard deviation. These results, based on the UK Biobank data, are robust to family-based designs and replicate in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Effects are strongest in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas and among males. This novel evidence on the existence and magnitude of selective survival highlights how large-scale public policies can leave a persistent imprint on population composition and generate long-term survival biases.
Seeing Stereotypes (arXiv preprint)
with Elisa Baldazzi, Marina Della Giusta, Florent Dubois
Abstract: Reliance on stereotypes is a persistent feature of human decision-making and has been extensively documented in educational settings, where it can shape students' confidence, performance, and long-term human capital accumulation. While effective techniques exist to mitigate these negative effects, a crucial first step is to establish whether teachers can recognize stereotypes in their professional environment. We introduce the Stereotype Identification Test (SIT), a novel survey tool that asks teachers to evaluate and comment on the presence of stereotypes in images randomly drawn from school textbooks. Their responses are systematically linked to established measures of implicit bias (Implicit Association Test, IAT) and explicit bias (survey scales on teaching stereotypes and social values). Our findings demonstrate that the SIT is a valid and reliable measure of stereotype recognition. Teachers' ability to recognize stereotypes is linked to trainable traits such as implicit bias awareness and inclusive teaching practices. Moreover, providing personalized feedback on implicit bias improves SIT scores by 0.25 standard deviations, reinforcing the idea that stereotype recognition is malleable and can be enhanced through targeted interventions.
Talent is Everywhere, Opportunity is Not: Online Role Model Mentoring and Students’ Aspirations (IZA wp)
with Amalia Di Girolamo, Giuseppe Sorrenti, Maddalena Totarelli.
Abstract: Educational disparities often limit students’ access to relatable role models, constraining their aspirations and educational outcomes. We design and implement the Online Role Model Mentoring Program (ORME), a scalable, low-cost intervention connecting middle school students with successful role models from similar backgrounds. Using a randomized controlled trial with over 450 students in Campania, Italy, we find that ORME improves students’ beliefs about the returns to effort, increases alignment between aspirations and expectations, and boosts school effort. Treated students also become more academically ambitious: they are more likely to enroll in academically oriented tracks and perform better on standardized language tests. These findings show that brief online mentoring sessions can have a meaningful impact on students’ attitudes and choices at a critical stage of schooling, highlighting a promising tool to support students in low-opportunity contexts.
Aggregating Epigenetic Clocks to Study Human Capital Formation (arXiv preprint, media: IZA World of Labor)
with Giorgia Menta, Divya Mehta, Conchita D'Ambrosio, Deborah Cobb-Clark
Abstract: Epigenetics is the study of how people's behavior and environments influence the way their genes are expressed, even though their DNA sequence is itself unchanged. By aggregating age-related epigenetic markers, epigenetic 'clocks' have become the leading tool for studying biological aging. We make an important contribution by developing a novel, integrated measure of epigenetic aging--the Multi EpiGenetic Age (MEGA) clock--which combines several existing epigenetic clocks to reduce measurement error and improve estimation efficiency. We use the MEGA clock in three empirical contexts to show that: i) accelerated epigenetic aging in adolescence is associated with worse educational, mental-health, and labor market outcomes in early adulthood; ii) exposure to child maltreatment before adolescence is associated with half a year higher epigenetic aging; and iii) that entering school one year later accelerates epigenetic aging by age seven, particularly among disadvantaged children. The MEGA clock is robust to alternative methods for constructing it, providing a flexible and interpretable approach for incorporating epigenetic data into a wide variety of settings.
Beyond Time: Unveiling the Invisible Burden of Mental Load (arXiv preprint, media: Linked-In)
with Francesca Barigozzi, Chiara Monfardini, Natalia Montinari, Elena Pisanelli, Sveva Vitellozzi
Abstract: This paper introduces a novel, scalable methodology to measure individual perceptions of gaps in mental load -- the cognitive and emotional burden associated with organizing household and childcare tasks -- within heterosexual couples. Using original data from the TIMES Observatory in Italy, the study combines time-use diaries with new survey indicators to quantify cognitive labor, emotional fatigue, and the spillover of mental load into the workplace. Results reveal systematic gender asymmetries: women are significantly more likely than men to bear organizational responsibility for domestic tasks, report lower satisfaction with this division, and experience higher emotional fatigue. These burdens are underestimated by their partners. The effects are particularly pronounced among college-educated and employed women, who also report greater spillovers of family responsibilities than men during paid work hours. The perceived responsibility for managing family activities is more strongly associated with within-couple gaps in time use than with the absolute time spent on their execution, underscoring the relational and conflictual nature of mental load.
Building Resilience Through Psychological Interventions. (WP)
with Michelle Escobar Carias, Victoria Baranov, Sonia Bhalotra, and Joanna (Asia) Maselko,
Abstract: Does past treatment for depression create resilience to future shocks? We study a randomized CBT-based intervention for prenatally depressed mothers in Pakistan and exploit variation in COVID-19 restriction stringency six years after childbirth. Treated women were protected against restriction-induced anxiety, depression, comorbidity, and functional impairment. Protection extended to spousal relationships, offsetting restriction-driven declines in relationship quality and increases in marital conflict. This resilience operates through psychological channels: the intervention builds locus of control and self-efficacy, strengthens family and partner support, and reduces how overwhelmed women feel when shocks arrive. The resulting psychological capital has returns well beyond the treated condition.
Depression, Violence and Bargaining Power.
with Michelle Escobar Carias, Victoria Baranov, Lisa Bates, Sonia Bhalotra, and Joanna (Asia) Maselko,
Abstract: Does treating maternal depression reduce women's exposure to intimate partner violence? Harnessing a randomized psychological intervention and eight years of follow-up data, we find that while treatment reduced maternal depression, it also increased women's likelihood of experiencing violence. These average effects, however, mask divergent trajectories shaped by women's baseline status relative to their husbands. Among higher-status women, psychotherapy reduced sexual violence and strengthened their bargaining position: they participate more in household decision-making, have higher labor force participation, and achieve lower fertility. Among lower-status women, despite similar initial reductions in depression, treatment led to increased psychological, physical, and sexual violence, alongside decreased involvement in household decision-making and lower labor force participation. For this group, the resulting violence ultimately reversed the initial mental health gains, showing that psychological interventions can be either undermined or reinforced by the household power dynamics they disrupt.
Moral Hazard Heterogeneity: Genes and Insurance Influence Smoking after a Health Shock (recent version, bioRxiv, code, slides, podcast)
with Laura Zwyssig
Abstract: Decision-making in the realm of health behaviors, such as smoking or drinking, is influenced both by biological factors, such as genetic predispositions, as well as environmental factors, such as financial liquidity and health insurance status. We show how the choice of smoking after a cardio-vascular health shock is jointly determined by the interaction between these biological and environmental constraints. Individuals who suffer a health shock when uninsured are 25.6 percentage points more likely to reduce smoking, but this is true only for those who have a low index of genetic predisposition to smoking. Individuals with a low index of genetic predisposition are more strategic and flexible in their behavioral response to an external shock. This differential elasticity of response depending on your genetic variants is evidence of individual-level heterogeneity in moral hazard. These results suggest that genetic heterogeneity is a factor that should be considered when evaluating the importance and fairness of health insurance policies.
Genetically Informed Estimation of Marginal Returns to Education.
with Tomeu López-Nieto Veitch, Elisabetta De Cao, Rodrigo Pinto.
Genes, Pubs, and Drinks: Gene-environment interplay and alcohol licensing policy in the United Kingdom.
with Christian Zünd
Dormant Papers
Dormant Papers
Cognition, personality, and in-group favouritism among children, with Amalia Di Girolamo, Michalis Drouvelis, Matteo Pinna
Genetic and Economic Interaction in Health Formation: The Case of Obesity. (working paper)
Health and Skill Formation in Early Childhood (UBS wp)
Current Projects
Current Projects
BHEPPE: Bologna Health Economics and Public Policy Evaluation
ESSGN: European Social Science Genetics Network with Titus Galama, Stephanie von Hinke, Nicola Barban, Hans van Kippersluis, Cornelius A. Rietveld, et al. --- Funded by Horizon Europe, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions
First Conference, Bologna 2022;
Second Conference, Bologna 2023;
Third Conference, Rotterdam 2024;
Fourth Conference, Bristol 2025;
Fifth Conference, Bologna 2026;
Sixth Conference, Berlin 2027 (Forthcoming...)
The BEBE Study
with Anne Brenøe, Claudio Schilter, and Xiaoyue Shan --- Funded by SNSF (189087) and Larsson Rosenquist Foundation
Bachpan Cohort Study: Perinatal depression and child development
with Joanna Maselko, Victoria Baranov, Sonia Bhalotra, et al. --- Funded by NIH
L'unione fa la scuola: laboratorio di formazione docenti per l'equità educativa --- Funded by PRIN and PNRR
with Maria Laura Di Tommaso, Ainoa Aparicio Fenoll, Lorenzo Rocco, Marina Della Giusta, Daniela Piazzalunga et al.
Past Projects
Past Projects
GEIGHEI: Gene-Environment Interplay in the Generation of Health and Education Inequalities (github repo)
with Hans van Kippersluis, Stephanie von Hinke, et al. --- Funded by NORFACE DIAL
Caleidoscuola: web platform for research projects in Italian Schools
STEM-UP! Cooperation and Cognitive Abilities in Primary Schools
with Demis Basso, Antonella Brighi, Amalia Di Girolamo --- Funded by Benecare Foundation and SNSF 197588
Google Sites
Report abuse