Overview
Dr Fari Aftab is a Research Associate at Cardiff University, working under the supervision of Professor Melanie Jones. She joined the university in May 2025 and currently contributes to the Wales Productivity Forum while developing a collaborative research agenda in labour economics, gender inequalities, and workplace productivity. Her work aims to generate robust, policy-relevant insights through interdisciplinary and empirically grounded research.
Prior to this role, Dr Aftab was a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the University of Reading, where she contributed to a Nuffield Foundation-funded project investigating maternal wellbeing, infant feeding choices, and the transition back into paid employment. She led a large-scale mixed-methods study involving primary data collection from over 1,800 women across the UK, integrating advanced econometric techniques with qualitative analysis to capture the complexity of maternal experiences and labour market dynamics.
Dr Aftab holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Leeds. Her doctoral research examined the socio-economic determinants of maternal life satisfaction, combining theoretical insight with rigorous quantitative analysis. She also holds an MSc in Business Economics (specialising in regulation and corporate strategy) from the University of Reading, where she received the Best Dissertation Award and graduated with cum laude honours. Her academic distinction also includes a Gold Medal for her BSc (Hons) in Economics.
Her research draws on interdisciplinary frameworks from economics, sociology, psychology, and behavioural science, allowing her to address multifaceted questions related to gender, work, and wellbeing. She has contributed to policy-focused academic discourse and is committed to producing research that advances both scholarly understanding and real-world impact.
In addition to her research, Dr Aftab is committed to research-led teaching, with experience leading and co-teaching undergraduate modules in quantitative methods and economics across the UK and Pakistan.
Research
Research Experience
Dr Fari Aftab is an economist with extensive experience in applied research on gender, wellbeing, and labour market outcomes. Her postdoctoral work at the University of Reading, supported by the Nuffield Foundation, involved leading a large-scale mixed-methods study on maternal wellbeing, infant feeding decisions, and women's return to paid work. She has worked with both primary and secondary datasets, including Understanding Society, and contributed to peer-reviewed publications with clear policy relevance.
Her PhD research at the University of Leeds focused on the socio-economic determinants of wellbeing among immigrants and ethnic minorities in the UK. Drawing on advanced econometric techniques and large panel datasets, her work provided new insights into integration and inequality.
Research Skills
- Applied Econometrics: Panel data methods, binary/multinomial response models, correlated random effects, causal inference, event study methods (e.g., Callaway & Sant’Anna).
- Quantitative & Qualitative Methods: Skilled in survey design, primary data collection, and integration of econometric and qualitative analysis.
- Data Proficiency: Stata, SPSS, EViews, NVivo, Excel (VBA), with experience managing large and complex datasets.
- Literature Synthesis: Proficient in systematic literature review using tools like StArt, and database research across Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.
Publications
- Subjective Wellbeing of Immigrants and Natives During Covid-19, Journal of Population Economics (ABS 3*)
- Subjective Wellbeing of Immigrants in the UK: The Role of Social Integration, Revise & Resubmit, 2025, Journal of International Migration
Working Papers
- The Trade-Offs Between Breastfeeding and Returning to Work in the UK
- Social and Economic Integration of Immigrants in the UK
Teaching
Dr Fari Aftab is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA) with a strong commitment to research-led and student-centred teaching. Her pedagogical approach emphasises the practical application of statistical tools and encourages critical engagement with contemporary economic and social issues.
She has held leadership roles in delivering undergraduate modules, including Introductory Quantitative Methods in Economics and Business, Introductory Mathematics for Economics, and Empirical Methods for Economics and Social Sciences.
During her PhD at the University of Leeds, Dr Aftab co-taught large first-year modules such as Economic Institutions (Industry) and Economics for Management, engaging with cohorts of 300–450 students. She also has experience teaching Introductory Econometrics to smaller groups during her BSc in Economics at FCCU.
Dr Aftab particularly enjoys mentoring students through their research journeys and is dedicated to cultivating analytical skills that prepare students for both academic and applied economic work.
Contact Details
Research themes
Specialisms
- Gender, health and well-being
- Labour economics
- ethnic and racial inequalities