Personal profile
Research interests
Eleonora is Professor of Applied Economics. She joined the Department of Economics in March 2017 as Senior Lecturer. She was Acting Head of the Economics Department in 2022-2023, Deputy Head of Department between 2019-2022 and became Reader in 2019. Since January 2022 she is co-Editor of Health Economics, including its Letters section. Previously, she was working at the Manchester Centre for Health Economics, University of Manchester where she held an MRC Early Career Fellowship in Economics of Health (2013-2016).
Eleonora attained her PhD in Economics at the University of Nottingham, her M.Sc. in Economics at University College London and her B.A. at Bocconi University (Milan).
She has held visiting positions at the Institute for Fiscal Studies and at the Center for Demography and Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester.
Eleonora's research interests are in the economics of health and applied micro-econometrics. As such, she leads the research theme on "Social Determinants of Health". Her research investigates the socio-economic determinants of health in high and low and middle income countries. Her focus is on how individuals and organisations interact with each other and on the social determinants of health. Her recent work investigates the effect of pollution on health, information and taxes on consumer behaviour (including their dietary choices), health and housing, the relationship between medical treatment and individual behaviour, the effect of early life shocks on later life health and the relation between physical and mental health. She is also working on issues related to gender in academic career progression.
Eleonora has obtained grants from the Medical Research Council (MRC), MRC jointly with DFiD and ESRC, the National Institute for Health Research, the Royal Economic Society, the Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing, the University of Manchester Research Institute and the School of Social Sciences at the University of Manchester. Some of her grant-funded work has examined the health impact of health financing systems in sub-Saharan Africa, and the effect of maternity leave policies on the academic job market. She is currently working on the economic analysis of the effects of urban development on health within the TRUUD MRC consortium.
She has presented at several national and international conferences in economics, health economics and econometrics, and development economics.
Willing to supervise doctoral students
Eleonora is interested in supervising new PhD students researching these topics:
- Education and health
- Health outcomes and behaviours over the lifecycle
- Policy evaluation of government interventions on health
- Economic resources and health
Education/Academic qualification
Economics, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Nottingham
Award Date: 7 Jul 2010
Economics, Master of Economics, University College London
Award Date: 7 Jul 2006
Economics, Bachelor of Economics, Bocconi University
Award Date: 12 Dec 2003
External positions
Honorary Senior Lecturer, University of Manchester
1 Mar 2017 → …
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
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SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
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SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Exploration of drivers of leave decisions of UK parents – analysis using UKHLS Innovation Panel data
Clifton-Sprigg, J. (PI), Fichera, E. (CoI) & Weeks, A. C. (CoI)
1/09/25 → 30/06/27
Project: Other
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Take up of parental provisions (maternity, paternity and shared parental leave) by employees
Clifton-Sprigg, J. (PI), Fichera, E. (CoI), Jones, M. (CoI) & Kaya, E. (CoI)
1/10/24 → 30/09/29
Project: Other
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Health Hub: Systems Approaches to Commercial Determinants of Health and Equity
Gilmore, A. (PI), Fichera, E. (CoI), Gillison, F. (CoI), Griffin, T. (CoI), Hunt, A. (CoI), Pearce, N. (CoI), Rutter, H. (CoI), Bates, G. (Researcher CoI), Serna Castano, A. (Researcher CoI) & Van Den Akker, A. (Researcher CoI)
1/04/24 → 31/03/28
Project: Research council
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Developing and carrying out an evaluation of the roll out of the PIFU digital platform at RUH BE 0543 573 053
Vasilakis, C. (PI) & Fichera, E. (CoI)
1/02/24 → 30/05/26
Project: University consultancy
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Role of employer policies in leave decisions – case of the UK Higher Education Sector
Clifton-Sprigg, J. (PI), Fichera, E. (CoI), Weeks, A. C. (CoI), Kaya, E. (PI), Jones, M. (PI), Morosow, K. (PI) & Cubel, M. (PI)
1/05/22 → 31/05/27
Project: Other
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A Randomised Control Trial on the Impact of Nudges, information and Incentives on Food Choices of Vulnerable Families
Mora, T., Fichera, E., Lopez-Valcarcel, B., Raido-Quintana, B. & Rey Biel, P., 1 Oct 2025, In: Social Science & Medicine. 382, 118315.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Fathers Taking Leave: evaluating the impact of shared parental leave in the United Kingdom
Clifton-Sprigg, J., Fichera, E., Jones, M. & Kaya, E., 19 Jun 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Fiscal Studies. p. 1-12Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
“And Breathe Normally”: Impacts of low emission zones on sick leave and mental well-being
Beshir, H. & Fichera, E., 30 Jun 2025, In: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization. 234, 106994.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Fathers Taking Leave: Evaluating the Impact of Shared Parental Leave in the UK
Clifton-Sprigg, J., Ezgi Kaya, Fichera, E. & Melanie Jones, 30 Jun 2024, Bonn: IZA Institute for the Study of Labor, 20 p.Research output: Working paper / Preprint › Discussion paper
Open Access -
How has the strict lockdown during the SARS-COV-2 outbreak changed the diet of Spaniards?
Mora, T., Fichera, E. & Lopez-Valcarcel, B., 31 Dec 2023, In: Social Science and Medicine - Population Health. 24, 101512.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access2 Link opens in a new tab Citations (SciVal)
Activities
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Media coverage on Clean Air Zone
Fichera, E. (No value)
13 Sept 2024Activity: Media article or participation, blog › Media article or participation
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Response to the Women and Equalities Committee Inquiry on Shared Parental Leave
Clifton-Sprigg, J. (Contributor), Fichera, E. (Contributor), Hunt, A. (Contributor), Jones, M. (Contributor) & Kaya, E. (Contributor)
7 Feb 2025Activity: Knowledge Exchange (Industry, Government, NGOs) › Stakeholder engagement, presentation
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Shared Parental Leave: Did it work? Evaluating the impact of the Shared Parental Leave policy in the United Kingdom
Clifton-Sprigg, J. (No value), Fichera, E. (No value), Kaya, E. (Author) & Jones, M. (Author)
Sept 2024Activity: Media article or participation, blog › Other
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SPL fails to increase leave among fathers
Clifton-Sprigg, J. (Contributor), Fichera, E. (Contributor), Jones, M. (Contributor), Kaya, E. (Contributor) & Hunt, A. (Contributor)
9 Feb 2025Activity: Knowledge Exchange (Industry, Government, NGOs) › Stakeholder engagement, presentation
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Submission of evidence to POST note
Clifton-Sprigg, J. (Contributor), Fichera, E. (Contributor), Papps, K. (Contributor) & Hunt, A. (Contributor)
22 Dec 2025Activity: Knowledge Exchange (Industry, Government, NGOs) › Giving evidence or preparing policy briefs