Johanna Wallenius has been with SSE an Assistant Professor since 2010. In November she was granted a full professorship at the Department of Economics. She is also a co-editor for the Scandinavian Journal of Economics and a Wallenberg Academy Fellow. Her research centers around the fields of macroeconomics, labor economics, and household economics.

Congratulations on becoming SSE’s second female Professor of Economics! How does it feel?

"It feels great! I have worked hard toward this goal and it is wonderful to see that work pay off."

What particular subjects pique your interest? 

"My research is motivated by large demographic trends such as ageing and the rise in inequality. I have recently become interested in health and longevity. People are on average living longer, healthier lives, but the improvements in health and longevity have not been uniformly distributed among the population. Rather, more educated individuals have benefitted more than their less educated counterparts. 

Together with my co-author, Panagiotis Margaris, we want to understand the drivers of this inequality and the implications thereof for government policies aimed at improving access to healthcare. An example of such a policy is Medicare-for-all, which is currently being heavily debated in the US."  

What are your future aspirations and professional goals? 

"What makes macroeconomics such an exciting field is its close connection to economic policy. I plan to continue doing policy-relevant research, which hopefully can serve as a basis for informed policy reform.

I want to continue to contribute to the field of macroeconomics and the development of the economics department here at SSE. We have a wonderful, collegial environment at the department."