STEP UP Chair and Co-Founder Professor Isabella Dobrescu is the Head of the School of Economics. A microeconometrician by training, she is currently involved in several evaluation studies designed to identify on 'what works' in education, providing insights into ways to address the challenges of modern higher education. Her broader research spans cognition and decision-making, with a focus on mental and economic wellbeing.
STEP UP Chair and Co-Founder Professor Alberto Motta is the Director of UNSW’s Scientia Education Academy. His research focuses on developing theoretical models and applying econometric methods to study the types and features of organisational design that are most effective. In the education space, he is leading several evaluation studies that will provide insights into what drives 'good education' and the role of experiential learning in online environments.
Professor Keith Ooi (MBBS, PhD, FRACP, AGAF, FGESA) is Professor of Medicine at The School of Clinical Medicine, Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, UNSW Medicine & Health and Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist at Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick, Australia. He is listed in the World’s Top 2% Scientists (Elsevier) in his field. He has brought his clinical and scientific approach to medical education research, with particular focus and interest in technology driven educational tools, including serious games for medical education.
Dr Michael Coffey (BMed, MD, PhD, FRACP) is a Paediatric Gastroenterologist at Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick and Conjoint Senior Lecturer at UNSW Medicine & Health. He has secured over $2 million in research funding and published extensively in the fields of cystic fibrosis, gut microbiome, pancreatitis, and serious games for medical education.
Associate Professor Murad Tayebjee is Associate Dean (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) and an academic in the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at UNSW, where he leads a research group investigating light–matter interactions. His research uses advanced laser spectroscopy to explore the fundamental processes that govern how light interacts with materials, with the overarching aim of enabling the design of next generation solar energy harvesting devices.
Associate Professor Rigissa Megalokonomou is an Associate Professor of Economics at Monash University and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Queensland. Her research in applied microeconomics examines education, migration and labour policy. Widely published, she uses novel data to address causal, policy relevant questions and currently holds an ARC Discovery Grant on women in STEM.
Dr Akshay Shanker is a quantitative economist and project lead at Econ-ARK, a NumFOCUS-affiliated project based at Johns Hopkins University dedicated to advancing structural economic modelling for policy analysis and applied research. His research spans heterogeneous-agent macroeconomics, economic growth and mathematical optimisation, with applied work in education, pensions and energy. At UNSW, he is collaborating with Isabella Dobrescu and Alberto Motta on structural studies to improve teaching and learning.
Dr Tommaso Sartori is a Research Fellow in the Department of Economics at Monash University, where he conducts research in the economics of education. He completed his PhD at the University of Essex in 2025. His work examines how cognitive and non-cognitive skills, peers, and school curricula shape human capital formation and educational outcomes.
