Yiyao Zhou 

I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in Operations and Technology at UCL School of Management, under the supervision of Professor Bilal Gokpinar. Prior to my PhD, I earned an MRes in Management with Distinction from UCL (2020), an MA in Economics from Renmin University of China (2019), and a BA in Economics from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (2017).

Benefiting from my Economics background, I am passionate about applying econometrics and causal inference to empirical research in operations management. My research focuses on technology and innovation, specifically exploring how emerging technologies—such as robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence—affect firms' innovation performance and operational processes. I am particularly interested in the potential limitations brought by robots and AI. My job market paper demonstrates that robot adoption can hinder process innovation in manufacturing firms through reducing human involvement. It will be presented at INFORMS 2024 in Seattle on Oct 20 at 8:30AM (Room Summit - 347).

I am on the 2024-25 academic job market.