Alessandro Toso

Greetings! I'm Alessandro Toso, a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Economics at the University of Siena (Italy), deeply immersed in the captivating intersection of social economics, happiness research, mental health, and drug policy.

Having earned my Master's in International Cooperation Policies for Development from the Catholic University of Sacred Heart of Milan, my doctoral journey has been a thrilling exploration into understanding the intricate links between economic and health structures, societal well-being, and individual happiness. My research is motivated by a keen interest in unraveling the nuanced connections between socioeconomic status, happiness, mental health, and substance use.

In the coming years, I am excited to continue this journey, striving for the potential of new social and economic strategies to positively impact individual well-being and community resilience in vulnerable contexts. As a dedicated advocate for mental health awareness, I claim that it is crucial to encourage an adequate policy process that takes into account issues such as life satisfaction, mental health, and drug-related disorders.

Over the last few years, I've expanded my research expertise within various fields.

• Three years of experience as a research analyst in geoeconomics at the Study Center of Italy China Council Foundation in Milan allowed me to develop a wider view of the macroeconomic dynamics, globalization, and trade flows. My research team was one of the first in Italy to study the impact of Covid-19 on the Chinese and Southeast Asian economies.

• A personal involvement in the field study has grown in several research areas. I conducted surveys and interviews in the working-class neighborhoods of Milan, in various Italian prisons, and in peripheral districts of Fortaleza, Brazil. From this latter experience, a database with more than 500 observations has been built during a three-month research on the local mental health population.

• work in progress...

I'm fluent in spoken and written Italian, English, Slovenian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

My favorite quote is from the Austrian writer Karl Kraus: “A weak man has doubts before a decision, a strong man has them afterward.”