Professor Jennifer Roberts

School of Economics

Professor of Economics

Jenny's photo
Profile picture of Jenny's photo
j.r.roberts@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 3403
+44 114 222 3458 (fax)
Room D37, Elmfield Building

Full contact details

Professor Jennifer Roberts
School of Economics
Room D37
Elmfield Building
Northumberland Road
Sheffield
S10 2TU
Profile

Jenny studied Social Sciences (Economics) at Bristol Polytechnic, graduating in 1987. She gained an MSc (1988) and a PhD (1993) in Economics from the University of Leeds and was appointed Lecturer in Economics at the University of Leeds in 1990. She moved to the University of Sheffield in that role in 1994. 

In 1997 Jenny took up a lectureship in health economics at the School for Health and Related Research (ScHARR) here in Sheffield, being promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2001 and Reader in 2003. In 2004 Jenny joined the School of Economics as Professor. 

Jenny has recently led a project on health and work for the Health Foundation and is currently collaborating with Mark Bryan on a project for the Nuffield Foundation on the disability employment gap.

Research interests

Jenny's research interests centre on applied microeconometrics, particularly the interaction of health and labour market outcomes, health-related behaviours, health valuation, the economics of well-being and travel behaviours.

She developed the  with John Brazier (ScHARR); this has been widely adopted for health care evaluation by pharma companies and health decision making bodies around the world.

The original journal article was awarded the International Society for Quality of Life prize for the best article on quality of life research in 2002 and it has been cited over 1700 times.

Jenny is interested in supervising PhD students in applied microeconometrics, especially those with topics that are in line with the research interests described here.

Publications

Journal articles

  • Rice N, Roberts J & Sechel C (2025) . Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 236.
  • Bryan M, Bryce A, Roberts J & Sechel C (2025) . Oxford Economic Papers.
  • Roberts J, Tubeuf S & Tyler P (2024) . Housing Studies, 39(7), 1787-1812.
  • Bryan M, Bryce A, Rice N, Roberts J & Sechel C (2022) . Labour Economics, 78.
  • Bryan ML, Bryce AM & Roberts J (2022) . The Manchester School, 90(4), 409-438.
  • Bryan M, Rice N, Roberts J & Sechel C (2022) . Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 84(5), 1018-1051.
  • Roberts J & Taylor K (2022) . Economica, 89(353), 131-160.
  • Bryan ML, Bryce AM & Roberts J (2021) . SSM - Population Health, 16.
  • Bryan M, Bryce A & Roberts J (2021) . European Journal of Health Economics, 22(9), 1519-1533.
  • Powell PA, Roberts J, Gabbay M & Consedine NS (2021) . Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 55(4), 356-368.
  • Brown S, Gosh P, Gray D, Pareek B & Roberts J (2021) . The European Journal of Finance, 27(16), 1581-1603.
  • Jacob N, Munford L, Rice N & Roberts J (2021) . Health Economics, 30(2), 207-230.
  • Gannon B & Roberts J (2020) . Empirical Economics, 58(3), 899-919.
  • McDool E, Powell P, Roberts J & Taylor K (2020) . Journal of Health Economics, 69.
  • Jacob N, Munford L, Rice N & Roberts J (2019) . Regional Science and Urban Economics, 77, 264-275.
  • Cuberes D, Roberts J & Sechel C (2019) . Regional Science and Urban Economics, 75, 120-135.
  • Powell PA, Puustinen-Hopper K, de Jode M, Mavros P & Roberts J (2018) . Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 71(9), 1949-1959.
  • Powell PA, Wills O, Reynolds G, Puustinen-Hooper K & Roberts J (2018) . PLoS ONE, 13(3).
  • Roberts J, Popli G & Harris RJ (2018) . Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A, 181(1), 299-320.
  • Powell PA & Roberts J (2017) . Computers in Human Behavior, 68, 137-148.
  • Roberts J & Taylor KB (2016) . Oxford Economic Papers.
  • Brown S, Duncan A, Harris MN, Roberts J & Taylor KB (2015) . Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 77(6), 822-831.
  • Lindley J, Mcintosh S, Roberts J, Czoski Murray C & Edlin R (2015) . Economic Modelling, 51, 635-645.
  • Brown S, Gray D & Roberts J (2015) . Economics Letters, 130, 47-50.
  • Arnott B, Rehackova L, Errington L, Sniehotta FF, Roberts J & Araujo-Soares V (2014) . International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 11.
  • Brown H, Hole AR & Roberts J (2014) . Applied Economics, 46(2), 153-166.
  • Brown H & Roberts J (2013) . Economics Letters, 120(3), 413-415.
  • Brown HW & Roberts J (2012) . Obesity, 20(5), 978-984.
  • Arnott B, Araujo-Soares V, Roberts J, Ross T, Wilson E, Davies N, Harris R, Errington L & Parker C (2012) Systematic review of behavioural interventions to promote shift to more sustainable modes of transport. PSYCHOLOGY & HEALTH, 27, 149-149.
  • Brown S, Roberts J & Taylor K (2011) . Economics Letters, 113(1), 88-91.
  • Brown H & Roberts J (2011) . Social Science and Medicine, 73(3), 383-390.
  • Roberts J, Hodgson R & Dolan P (2011) . Journal of Health Economics, 30(5), 1064-1076.
  • Hamid SA, Roberts J & Mosley P (2011) . World Development, 39(3), 399-411.
  • Gannon B & Roberts J (2011) . Applied Economics, 43(30), 4749-4757.
  • Hamid SA, Roberts J & Mosley P (2011) . Journal of Risk and Insurance, 78(1), 57-82.
  • Roberts J, Rice N & Jones AM (2010) . Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance Issues and Practice, 35(4), 644-667.
  • Jones AM, Rice N & Roberts J (2010) . ECONOMIC MODELLING, 27(4), 866-880.
  • Brown S, Roberts J & Taylor K (2010) Reservation wages, labour market participation and health. J R STAT SOC A STAT, 173, 501-529.
  • Brazier JE, Fukuhara S, Roberts J, Kharroubi S, Yamamoto Y, Ikeda S, Doherty J & Kurokawa K (2009) . J Clin Epidemiol, 62(12), 1323-1331.
  • Rowen D, Brazier J & Roberts J (2009) . Health Qual Life Outcomes, 7, 27.
  • Brazier J, Czoski-Murray C, Roberts J, Brown M, Symonds T & Kelleher C (2008) . Med Decis Making, 28(1), 113-126.
  • Roberts J, Hamid SA & Mosley P (2007) Can Micro Health Insurance Improve the Health of Microcredit Members? Evidence from Bangladesh. World Development, 399-411.
  • Rashid S, Cooper C, Roberts J & Boggild M (2007) Multiple sclerosis and retention of employment: Experience within the risk sharing scheme. JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY, 78(9), 1033-1033.
  • Stevens K, McCabe C, Brazier J & Roberts J (2007) . J Health Econ, 26(5), 992-1002.
  • Kharroubi SA, Brazier JE, Roberts J & O'Hagan A (2007) . J HEALTH ECON, 26(3), 597-612.
  • McCabe C, Stevens K, Roberts J & Brazier J (2006) . Health Economics, 15(7), 761-761.
  • McDonald S & Roberts J (2006) . J DEV ECON, 80(1), 228-250.
  • McCabe C, Brazier J, Gilks P, Tsuchiya A, Roberts J, O'Hagan A & Stevens K (2006) . J Health Econ, 25(3), 418-431.
  • Tsuchiya A, Brazier J & Roberts J (2006) . J Health Econ, 25(2), 334-346.
  • Brazier JE, Roberts J, Platts M & Zoellner YF (2005) . Health Qual Life Outcomes, 3, 13.
  • McCabe C, Stevens K, Roberts J & Brazier J (2005) . Health Econ, 14(3), 231-244.
  • Wailoo A, Roberts J, Brazier J & McCabe C (2004) . British Medical Journal, 328(7439), 536-537.
  • Brazier J, Roberts J, Tsuchiya A & Busschbach J (2004) . Health Econ, 13(9), 873-884.
  • Brazier JE & Roberts J (2004) . Med Care, 42(9), 851-859.
  • Roberts J & Dolan P (2004) . Health Econ, 13(7), 733-737.
  • Dolan P & Roberts J (2002) . Med Care, 40(5), 442-446.
  • Dolan P & Roberts J (2002) . Soc Sci Med, 54(6), 919-929.
  • Brazier J, Roberts J & Deverill M (2002) . J Health Econ, 21(2), 271-292.
  • Dixon S, McDonald S & Roberts J (2002) . BMJ, 324(7331), 232-234.
  • McDonald S & Roberts J (2002) Growth and multiple forms of human capital in an augmented Solow model: a panel data investigation. ECON LETT, 74(2), 271-276.
  • Dixon S, McDonald S & Roberts J (2001) . Journal of International Development, 13(4), 411-426.
  • Dixon S, McDonald S & Roberts J (2001) . Journal of International Development, 13(4), 381-389.
  • Dixon S, McDonald S & Roberts J (2001) HIV|AIDS and development in Africa. Journal of International Development, 13(4), 381-389.
  • Roberts J (2000) Spurious regression problems in the determinants of health care expenditure: a comment on Hitiris (1997). APPL ECON LETT, 7(5), 279-283.
  • Roberts J & Dietrich M (1999) Conceptualizing professionalism: Why economics needs sociology. AM J ECON SOCIOL, 58(4), 977-998.
  • Dixon S, Mcdonald S & Roberts J (1999) . New Economy, 6(3), 173-178.
  • Roberts J (1999) . Health Econ, 8(5), 459-472.
  • Coutts JA, Roberts J & Mills TC (1997) Parameter stability in the market model: Tests and time varying parameter estimation with UK data. STATISTICIAN, 46(1), 57-70.
  • Andrew Coutts J, Mills TC & Roberts J (1997) . The European Journal of Finance, 3(3), 243-259.
  • Mills TC, Coutts JA & Roberts J (1996) Misspecification testing and robust estimation of the market model and their implications for event studies. APPL ECON, 28(5), 559-566.
  • McDonald S & Roberts J (1996) Misspecification and cross-country growth regressions. APPL ECON LETT, 3(6), 413-416.
  • COUTTS JA, MILLS TC & ROBERTS J (1995) TESTING CUMULATIVE PREDICTION ERRORS IN EVENT STUDY METHODOLOGY. J FORECASTING, 14(2), 107-115.
  • COUTTS JA, MILLS TC & ROBERTS J (1995) MISSPECIFICATION OF THE MARKET MODEL - THE IMPLICATIONS FOR EVENT STUDIES. APPL ECON LETT, 2(5), 163-165.
  • Coutts JA, Mills TC & Roberts J (1994) . International Review of Financial Analysis, 3(2), 149-171.

Book chapters

  • Brazier J, Roberts J & Rowen D (2012) Methods for developing preference-based measures of health, Elgar Companion to Health Economics Second Edition (pp. 395-405).
Teaching activities

I currently teach a session on Daniel Kahneman the 2002 Nobel Laureate in Classical and Contemporary Thinkers in Economics. I try to illustrate economic theory with real-world examples from recent news stories.

I also use pictures a lot in my presentations, not just for entertainment value, but also because there is good evidence that as a learning tool we recall pictures more readily than words.

As my research interests include behavioural economics (using ideas from psychology to more fully understand economic decision making), I have introduced these ideas into my teaching.

This contrasts homo economicus (the fully informed, rational, utility-maximising individual) with homo sapiens (human beings who exhibit systematic errors in decision making such as time inconsistency, loss aversion and susceptibility to framing effects

  • ECN109 Classical and Contemporary Thinkers in Economics

Links

Our project on Health and Work funded by the Health Foundation