A chat with Stone Centre PhD Scholar Thomas Lazarowicz

Thomas Lazarowicz was one of the Stone Centre at UCL’s inagural PhD Scholars alongside Joern Onken back in 2022. We spoke with Tom to find out what he’s been up to since his time with the Stone Centre, and how the support helped him.

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How did you become involved with the Stone Centre?

I was one of the inaugural Stone Centre PhD Scholars. I had taught for Wendy Carlin for a number of years so I knew how great an experience the scholarship would be, and I was lucky enough to be awarded the scholarship.

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What did you study for your PhD?

I work in empirical macroeconomics. My research focuses on using tools from the macroeconometric and microeconometric literatures to answer questions and contemporary debates in economic policy. Some examples include how monetary policy affects rental markets in the United Kingdom (as a long suffering renter in London I am particularly interested in the results!), and how austerity in the early 2010s has contributed to slow economic growth in the years since.

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How did the Stone PhD Scholarship help you?

The scholarship reduced my teaching load at the start of my PhD which gave me extra time to work on my research projects. I have also been fortunate to benefit from many conversations with the Stone Centre directors here at UCL, as well as being able to engage with the wider Stone Centre network at some of the events that have been organised by the centre.

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What have you done since your scholarship?

Largely the same projects! Although they have substantially benefited from the feedback and conversations with those affiliated with the Stone Centre. I also worked on a paper for the Bank of England, Monetary transmission through the housing sector, which I co-authored with Daniel Albuquerque and Jamie Lenney.

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What do you plan to do in the future?

I’m planning on finishing my PhD in the next year and then plan on moving on to a new institution, though hopefully keeping in touch with the Centre here!

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