Team Members
TEAM MEMBERS
EnvEcon have a close-knit and highly experienced research group that interact across the full spectrum of our work. The team offer expertise and experience from fields such as economics, engineering, political science, behavioural science, environmental science and data science. This blend of skills within a well integrated team allows us to deliver balanced inter-disciplinary responses to real world challenges. At EnvEcon we develop broader expertise in our team to foster more productive collaborations and more balanced deliverables. Primary roles are noted for the team below.

AALISHA PATIL
Energy & Economics
Aalisha holds an MSc in Applied Economics from University College Dublin and holds a BA (Honours) in Economics. She is trained in economic theory, applied research skills and econometric analysis, across different fields and subfields of economics. She is experienced in economic and policy analysis, and places a particular focus on analysing and communicating data through effective written and visual communication. With further experience in Needs and Impact Assessment studies for social and development sector projects, she is well versed in analysing data using statistical, econometric and simulation techniques. Her research interests include energy, environmental, behavioural and competition economics. Additionally, she is developing her skills in Business Analytics to understand and explore business strategy and decision making through data-driven insights.

Dr. Luke Kelleher
Spatial Analytics
Luke is a GIS analyst with over 15 years experience of working in the field. He obtained his PhD in Environmental Planning from the School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering (SPACE) at Queens University Belfast in 2015. His research programme involved extensive use of GIS, SPSS, Stated Preference Surveys and Discrete Choice Modelling. He also has an MSc in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from the University of Ulster. He has previous experience working as a Researcher in the University of Hertfordshire, Queens University Belfast and University of Ulster. Luke has also worked as a GIS Analyst with a wide range of public bodies and companies including the UK Department for Transport, Northern Ireland Water, Hertfordshire County Council and RPS Group.

Ciarán Deegan
Policy Researcher
Ciaran holds a BA (hons) in Economics and an MSc in Behavioural Economics. His areas of expertise include behavioural economics, experimental economics, microeconomics, econometrics and psychology. Ciaran is particularly interested in the development of policy applications derived from behavioural economic research. His masters focus was on pro-environmental behaviour, paying specific attention to the environmental intentions gap, green identity and behaviourally informed policy. Since joining EnvEcon Ciaran has worked extensively on residential and transport sector data analysis as well as supporting research on sectoral and cross-sectoral policy measures.

Yulu Guo
Transport Modelling & Policy

Amy Collins
Project Manager

Michael Samaras
Quantitative Economics
At EnvEcon Michael is focused on rigorous research and development of social, private and public CBA methodologies, extended-environmental input-output models and the development and application of analytical tools which enable can offer actionable support for policy design and resource allocation decisions for both public and private sector decision makers.

Dr. Leonhard Lades
Behavioural Economics
Leonhard obtained his MSc in Economics from the University of Bonn and completed his PhD from the Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena at the Max Planck Institute of Economics and the Graduate School Human Behaviour in Social and Economic Change in Jena, Germany. He completed postdocs at the Max Planck Institute in Jena and at the Behavioural Science Centre in Stirling. Prior to joining EnvEcon he was a tenured lecturer in economics at the University of Stirling. He has published in academic journals such as Economics Letters, the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, the Journal of Economic Psychology, the Journal of Evolutionary Economics, and Kyklos. Leonhard is also an Adjunct Research Fellow at UCD, and a member of the Centre for Behavioural Sciences at UCD Geary.

Dr. Eoin Ó Broin
Climate & Air
Dr Ó Broin holds an M.Sc. in Industrial Ecology from Chalmers and a B.Eng. in Electronic Engineering from the University of Limerick. He has undertaken internships at the UN ECE Committee on Housing and Land Management and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development in Geneva, and been a member of the board of management of Gothenburg City Water Utility (Göteborg kretslopp och vatten).

Antonio Soler
Business Development

Saskia Kirkland
Researcher
Saskia is an undergraduate student of Economics and Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh and is interning at EnvEcon. A former winner of the Young Economist of the Year award, Saskia has completed multiple research projects focusing on the role of economics in the context of environmental and social issues, and has thereby acquired and developed a wide range of skills and experience in the area. She has a keen interest in how economics can be applied to design and deliver support for policy in the areas of environment and just transition, and indeed the role of young people in driving the necessary changes.

Angela Milimu
Researcher
Angela is currently pursuing a Masters in Applied Economics at University College Dublin, graduating in 2023. She holds a BBSc in Financial Economics from Strathmore University Kenya. Angela has a special interest in sustainable resource allocation, macroeconomics, econometrics and finance. Through her academic career, she has been active in numerous environmental campaigns, and has gained recognition for her work from the United Nations Environmental Division. She is passionate about applying her skills and interests to create a positive impact in the world of economic policy.

Meghana K R
Data Science
Meghana K R is a dedicated scholar currently pursuing a Masters in Computer Science at University College Dublin. With a specialization in Computer Science during her Bachelor’s degree, she has established a strong foundation for her expertise in data science. Meghana’s true passion lies in building robust and innovative machine learning models. Even during her undergraduate studies, she displayed exceptional aptitude by developing several recommender systems, showcasing her ability to translate theoretical concepts into practical applications. She is committed to developing models that cater to individual preferences, helping businesses deliver tailored experiences.

Charlie Cregan
Supervised PhD – ESG
Charlie holds a MSc. in Economics and a Bachelor of Business and Law (BBL) degree, both from University College Dublin. He has undergone rigorous training in economic theory and econometric analysis, and is also undertaking PhD research in University College Dublin, co-supervised by EnvEcon. His PhD research focuses on ESG and corporate sustainability, with a specific focus on the measurement and reporting of corporate emissions performance. His broader research interests and expertise include behavioural economics, environmental economics and econometrics.
ASSOCIATES & ALUMNI
EnvEcon also maintain collaborative connections with a number of former team members and colleagues, as well as engaging in direct co-supervision of masters and doctoral students in areas of relevance. These activities allow us to support new capacity development and the subsequent retention of expertise in our work. The following are some of those associates and alumni.

Breanna Larsen
Policy Research
Breanna holds an MSc in Environmental Policy and a BA with a major in International Relations. Through her academic career she has developed specialist experience in the areas of economics, statistics and political science. Over the course of her professional career with EnvEcon Breanna has developed a broad set of project management skills, alongside specialist expertise in areas such as stakeholder engagement, mediation, public participation and systematic evaluations. Breanna is also extremely proficient in the areas of data, research and model management, with a necessarily meticulous and professional approach in regards to clearly organising and structuring her work. Breanna has a particular interest in cross-sectoral policy research and design, and has extensive experience across a wide range of contemporary environmental issues.

Cillian O’ Donoghue
Supervised PhD – Buildings

Feidhlim O’ Shea
Supervised PhD – Waste

MARIE THERESE POWER
Energy & Buildings
Marie Therese has spent a number of years working in the NGO sector, on issues of penal policy and homelessness. Her current focus is informed by these experiences, motivating her interest in effective, evidence based policies, in particular multilateral approaches to addressing complex policy issues. Marie Therese holds a Diploma in project management and is a highly professional, efficient and detail orientated researcher.

Dr. Harutyun Shahumyan
Data Science
In 2014, Harut was awarded an EU FP7 Marie Curie International Fellowship and moved to the National Center of Smart Growth at the University of Maryland to implement his GeoSInPo project. Here his research integrated different state-of-the-art models including land use, transport, emissions and water quality models for the Washington-Baltimore Region.Harut has over 50 publications, which includes 14 peer-reviewed papers in high profile international journals and 4 book chapters. His research interests are broad in scope but centre on the areas of GIScience, geospatial technologies, Spatial Decision Support Systems, Citizen Science, Smart Cities and Big Data.

Shivani Shukla
Energy & Economics