June 28, 2023 | News | New faces at MPIDR

Welcome, Alessandro Feraldi!

Alessandro Feraldi will support the research group Labor Demography. © MPIDR/Schulz

Another new face at MPIDR is Alessandro Feraldi from Italy. Alessandro comes from Sapienza University in Rome where he obtained his PhD. The topic of his thesis was “Gender Gap in Health and Survival". In his previous research, Alessandro analyzed the gender gap in health and survival, focusing on the contributions of age and causes of death to the gender gap in life expectancy, as well as on social and behavioral risk factors that potentially increase/decrease the gender gap in healthy life expectancy. Alessandro joins the research group Labor Demography as a postdoctoral fellow.

What motivates you to work in this research area?
Due to the aging of the population and the rise in the old-age dependency ratio, many governments have implemented or plan to implement policies aimed at increasing the statutory retirement age (often by eliminating or reducing early retirement benefits). Although these changes prolong participation in the labor force, they may lead to higher social costs, such as those associated with unhealthy aging (unhealthy working life and early retirement through unemployment and disability benefits). Investigating trends and identifying factors/inequalities (health, socio-economic inequalities, working conditions) that contribute to changes/differences in (healthy) working life trajectories is the focus of my current work. My research also focuses on the spillover effects of changes in state pension reforms on (healthy) work histories.

Why did you choose MPIDR as your new employer?

I had the opportunity to experience the daily work life at MPIDR in 2019 and 2020, and I was really fascinated. It is an amazing place where you can learn a lot every day, share knowledge and ask for help/opinion from many experts in the field. I also enjoy the frequent lab talks and invited talks, which always spark interesting discussions. I am really proud to be a part of MPIDR and I think it is a great opportunity to grow and make a significant contribution to the research community.

Where are you from? What do you miss most about home?

I am from Sicily (Italy), known as the best place for food and for enjoying the sea, nature, summer and people. What I miss most about my countries are the food and the people.

What is your favorite and what is your least favorite part of your job?

The favorite parts of my work are the independence and flexibility in my work and research, also the collaboration with other researchers on relevant areas and the potential to contribute to the research community. The process of conducting research can often be complex and time consuming.