Research

James Banks is Professor of Economics at University College London and Deputy Research Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, where he also directs the Centre for Economic Research on Ageing. His research focuses on empirical modelling of individual economic behaviour over the life-cycle, with particular focus on consumption and spending patterns, saving and asset accumulation, housing dynamics, and retirement and pension choices. Recent work has also begun to look at broader issues in the economics of ageing Ð such as health, physical and cognitive functioning and their association with labour market status; the dynamics of work disability; and the nature of expectations of retirement, health and longevity. Professor Banks is Co-Principal Investigator of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and has become actively involved in designing economic measures for survey data. He serves on the advisory boards of the British Household Panel Study, the UK Wealth and Assets Survey, the ESRC UK Longitudinal Studies Centre, the UK government Pension Statistics Task Force and is a member of the UK National Strategy Committee on Longitudinal Studies.