Gregor Zens

Gregor Zens

Research Scholar
IIASA

Gregor Zens

I am a affiliated with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), where I am part of the Population and Just Societies (POPJUS) program. Previously, I worked at the Bocconi Institute for Data Science and Analytics (BIDSA) with Daniele Durante and at the Institute for Statistics and Mathematics at WU Vienna with Sylvia Frühwirth-Schnatter. I obtained my PhD in economics with a focus on Bayesian econometrics at WU Vienna, under the supervision of Jésus Crespo Cuaresma and Sylvia Frühwirth-Schnatter and have also served as a statistical consultant for the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development and the International Finance Corporation within the World Bank Group.


Research Focus

My research focuses on developing and applying quantitative models to analyze social science phenomena. I collaborate with economists, climate researchers, and demographers, focusing on applications related to human mobility, statistical demography and development issues. Methodologically, I am particularly interested in Bayesian methods, with an emphasis on high-dimensional models and computational techniques. Below are some of my current and past projects.


Pre-Prints, Selected Work in Progress

  • Bayesian Matrix Factor Models for Demographic Analysis Across Age and Time.
    [arXiv]
    (Submitted)

  • Model Uncertainty in Latent Gaussian Models with Univariate Link Function.
    [arXiv, R package]
    with Mark Steel (University of Warwick)
    (Submitted)

  • Flexible Bayesian Modeling of Age-Specific Counts in Many Demographic Subpopulations. [arXiv]
    (In Revision)

  • Hidden in Plain Sight: Influential sets in linear regression models. [updated pdf, WP]
    with Nikolas Kuschnig (WU Vienna) and Jésus Crespo Cuaresma (WU Vienna).
    (Submitted)

  • Bayesian Network Modeling of Crime Data.
    with Daniele Durante (Bocconi University), Eleonora Patacchini (Cornell University) and Carlos Díaz (Universidad Católica del Uruguay)


Publications in Peer-Reviewed Journals

Articles

  • Subnational Variations in the Quality of Population Health Data: A Geospatial Analysis of Household Surveys in Africa. [old WP]
    Nature Communications, Accepted.
    with Andrew Tatem (University of Southampton, WorldPop), Valentin Seidler (CEU), Patrick Webb (Tufts University), Amelia Finaret (Allegheny College), and more

  • Interrelated Drivers of Migration Intentions in Africa: Evidence from Afrobarometer Surveys. [journal]
    Environmental Development, 2024.
    with Roman Hoffmann (IIASA / WIC)

  • The Short-Term Dynamics of Conflict-Driven Displacement: Bayesian Modeling of Disaggregated Data from Somalia. [pdf]
    The Annals of Applied Statistics, In Press.
    with Lisa Thalheimer (United Nations University)

  • Ultimate Pólya Gamma Samplers - Efficient MCMC for possibly imbalanced binary and categorical data. [journal, arXiv, R package]
    Journal of the American Statistical Association, 2023.
    with Sylvia Frühwirth-Schnatter (WU Vienna) and Helga Wagner (JKU Linz).

  • The Heterogeneous Impact of Monetary Policy on the US Labor Market. [journal]
    Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, 2020.
    with Maximilian Böck (WU Vienna) and Thomas Zörner (WU Vienna).

  • Land and Poverty: The Role of Soil Fertility and Vegetation Quality in Poverty Reduction. [journal]
    Environment and Development Economics, 2020.
    with Martin Heger (World Bank) and Mook Bangalore (London School of Economics).

  • Bayesian Shrinkage in Mixture-of-Experts Models: Identifying Robust Determinants of Class Membership.
    Advances in Data Analysis and Classification, 2019.
    Master’s Thesis.

Discussions

  • Discussion on Sparse Bayesian Factor Analysis When the Number of Factors Is Unknown by Frühwirth-Schnatter S., Hosszejni D., and Freitas Lopes H. [journal]
    Bayesian Analysis, In Press.
    with Alejandra Avalos-Pacheco (JKU Linz) and Roberta De Vito (Brown University)


Software


Newspapers, Blogs, General Audience

(In German only, sorry!)


Presentations at Conferences, Seminars and Workshops


Awards, Fellowships, Travel Grants


Academic Visits


Teaching & Thesis Supervision

I have taught several undergraduate courses on econometrics, data science methods, economic development, economic growth, and macroeconomic theory. Additionally, I have delivered graduate-level lectures on macroeconometric methods, focusing on Bayesian computation. I have also supervised several bachelor’s and master’s theses. Examples of past thesis topics include “The importance of digitized government-to-person (G2P) payments for women’s financial inclusion in developing countries” and “Nowcasting GDP growth in Austria via the construction of a daily economic sentiment index using Google Trends”.


Contact

zens [at] iiasa.ac.at
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
Population and Just Societies Program
Schlossplatz 1, 2361 Laxenburg, Austria