Marcela Parada-Contzen

Contact Information:

• E-mail Address: marcelaparada@udec.cl (institutional) | mparadacontzen@gmail.com (alternative). 

• Phone number: 56-41-2204151 

• Mailing Address: 
  Depto. Ingeniería Industrial, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Concepción
  Edmundo Larenas 219, Concepción, Chile 4070409

Research interests:

I am an economist with interest in applied microeconomics-econometrics. My research interests are in in the areas of Labor and Pension Economics, Health Economics,  and Economics of Risk and Uncertainty.  In terms of methods, I work with large datasets and use parametric and non-parametric reduced form and semi-structural equations. Most of my estimates causal effects of economic behaviors on outcomes of interest.

My main research field focuses on dynamic modelling of  individual behavior over the life-cycle in the context of wealth accumulation using system of correlated equations. In addition, I also estimate reduced form models in the context of labor market outcomes, pension economics, migration, human valuation of life, gender economics, and political polarization. Most of my research uses Chilean data and seeks to to contribute to the design of public policies based on scientific evidence.

My definitely favorite research topic is Pension Economics. I like to analyze individual behavior within systems, to study and help to design policies for improving pension outcomes, to perform ex-ante simulation of policy impacts, among others. 

In the last year, I have been exploring new research lines such as gender economics and empirical election polarization. I am also exploring lines in migration and local labor markets. 

Other interests: 

• I enjoy reading books during the rainy Fall-Winter-Spring weekends of Concepción. Well, I also enjoy reading in the Summer. My favorite genders are: Non-fiction, Memoir, Contemporary.

• I play classical piano (i.e., Chopin, Beethoven, and Bach).

• I run for fun.

• I play tennis for fun.

• I am learning to play the violin.

• I try to do acrylic painting.

•  I have taken two golf lessons (updated: May 2025)