Andrea Blasco

Policy Analyst — Behavioural Insights, Artificial Intelligence & Evidence-Based Policymaking

European Commission · Joint Research Centre (JRC)
EU Policy Lab — Foresight, Design & Behavioural Insights

Brussels, Belgium

Economist and policy analyst with over 14 years of international experience spanning the European Commission, Harvard University, the Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard and London Business School.

Specialised in behavioural insights, evidence-informed policymaking, innovation policy, artificial intelligence and experimental methods. Extensive experience leading multidisciplinary projects, translating scientific evidence into policy recommendations, coordinating international collaborations and communicating complex analyses to senior decision-makers.

Combines rigorous quantitative expertise with strategic policy analysis and stakeholder engagement in multicultural environments.

Core Competencies

Research Interests

Behavioural Insights & Policy

Designing behavioural and experimental interventions to support EU policymaking, advising on the application of behavioural science to public policy challenges.

Artificial Intelligence

Applying machine learning and data science methods to large-scale datasets, contributing to AI-enabled scientific discovery and exploring AI's role in evidence-based policy.

Innovation & Experimental Economics

Research in industrial organisation, innovation economics and experimental methods, including market design and incentive mechanisms.

Evidence-Based Policymaking

Producing scientific reports and policy recommendations for European Commission services, translating complex evidence into actionable insights for decision-makers.

Publications

Author of more than fifteen peer-reviewed publications in economics, innovation, behavioural science and artificial intelligence. Research published in leading international journals and presented at major academic and policy conferences.

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Experience

Policy Analyst

European Commission — Joint Research Centre (JRC), Brussels · 2022 – Present

Support the design and evaluation of European public policies through behavioural science, experimentation and quantitative evidence.

Design behavioural and experimental interventions supporting EU policymaking.
Lead interdisciplinary projects involving economists, behavioural scientists, designers and policy experts.
Produce scientific reports and policy recommendations for Commission services.
Advise policymakers on the application of behavioural insights and emerging AI methods.
Represent the JRC at European and international conferences, workshops and expert meetings.
Build collaborations with universities, research organisations and Member State administrations.

Research Scientist & Project Coordinator

Harvard Business School & Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard · 2018 – 2022

Led research projects at the intersection of innovation, artificial intelligence and biomedical research.

Coordinated multidisciplinary research programmes involving academic and technical teams.
Managed collaborations across Harvard University, MIT, the Broad Institute and external partners.
Applied machine learning and data science methods to large-scale biomedical datasets.
Contributed to international initiatives advancing AI-enabled scientific discovery.
Produced high-impact publications and disseminated findings through international conferences.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Harvard University · 2012 – 2018

Conducted research in industrial organisation, innovation economics and experimental methods.

Designed and implemented empirical research projects.
Supervised research assistants and junior collaborators.
Published in leading peer-reviewed journals.
Presented research at major international conferences.

Postdoctoral Researcher

London Business School · 2011 – 2012

Conducted research on innovation, market design and industrial organisation while collaborating with international academic partners.

Teaching & Training

Selected executive and postgraduate teaching:

Behavioural Insights for Policy

University of Milano-Bicocca

Behavioural Insights — Advanced Course for Policymakers

European Commission

Markets & Organizations Programme

Harvard Business School

Intermediate Microeconomics

Johns Hopkins University Bologna Center

Education

PhD in Economics

University of Bologna · 2011

Dissertation: Essays in Industrial Organization

MSc in Applied Mathematics and Economics

Toulouse School of Economics · 2007

BSc in Economics

University of Naples Federico II · 2006

Professional Development

Visiting Researcher — University of Essex
Visiting Researcher — European University Institute
Causal Inference and Public Program Evaluation — CEMFI
Experimental Economics Summer School — Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Awards & Recognition

2021 Best Paper Award — ASIS&T SIG/MET Workshop
2021 Contributor to the NIH–Broad Institute–Harvard initiative on AI for drug discovery
2019 Research Associate — National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine

Selected Invited Talks & Presentations

AI for Good Global Summit (United Nations / ITU)
Maastricht Behavioral Economic Policy Symposium (U. of Maastricht)
Behavioural Public Policy Conference (University of Cambridge)
KU Leuven
European School of Administration
European University Institute
Energy Behaviour Forum
Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies
University of Rome Tor Vergata
MIT
Politecnico di Milano

Skills

Technical

PythonAdvanced — machine learning, data science, automation
RAdvanced — statistical modelling and visualisation
SQLAdvanced
Git / GitHubAdvanced
LaTeX / MarkdownAdvanced
Data Analysis & Experimental DesignExpert

Languages

ItalianNative
EnglishC2
FrenchB1

Contact

I welcome inquiries about research collaborations, policy projects and academic opportunities.

Email: andrea.blasco@ec.europa.eu

Affiliation: European Commission — Joint Research Centre (JRC), Brussels, Belgium

Google Scholar: Profile

LinkedIn: andrea-blasco-082b1044