Dr Gerald McQuade

Research Associate (Health Economics)

Research Overview

I will be working as a researcher in the Health Economics research team, working on the NIHR-funded Community Wealth Building evaluation study in Scotland (CoWBELLS).

I completed my PhD in Economics at Lancaster University in late 2024, focusing on the long-term and intergenerational impacts of early-life exposure to droughts and extreme rainfall on socio-economic, health, and cognitive outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. I also hold an MSc and MA in Economics from the University of Edinburgh and Heriot Watt University, respectively.

My previous research focused on the socio-economic and health impacts of extreme climate and environmental shocks, the measurement of individuals’ exposure to traumatic experiences during armed conflict, and the role of sibling and peer spillovers in educational choices and attainment. Between my PhD and returning to Lancaster, I worked as a Research Officer for The Young Lives international longitudinal study, based at the University of Oxford. I previously worked as a Teaching Associate at Lancaster University, and have held Visiting Researcher positions at GRADE in Peru and the Oxford Department of International Development. Prior to my PhD, I worked as a Statistical Officer with the UK Office for National Statistics and as a Research Assistant at the University of Aberdeen.

Visit my personal academic website.