OUR
TEAM
// Our team of in-house experts, social and behavioural scientists, data scientists and research consultants is based in Barcelona (Spain) and the Netherlands.
WE ARE A MULTIDISCIPLINARY,
EXPERIENCED AND PASSIONATE TEAM.
We are a multidisciplinary team of researchers with a strong network of experts from industry and academia.
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// MEET OUR TEAM MEMBERS
OUR
FOUNDERS
FRANCISCO LUPIÁÑEZ-VILLANUEVA
CO-FOUNDER
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Francisco (PhD) is the co-founder and director of PredictBy and Professor at Open University of Catalonia.
He has more than 20 years of experience in applying quantitative and qualitive research and consulting related to the social, economic, cultural and policy issues associated with information and communication technologies.He has a particular focus on digital transformation, platform economies, behavioural science and data analytics. He has conducted a broad range of studies across Europe involving impact evaluation and assessment, behavioural science and data analytics. Francisco and a proven track record of successfully delivering studies to the European Commission and the private sector. Francisco combines a robust scientific approach with a pragmatic and business-oriented vision to transform complex challenges into actionable and impactful solutions.
Francisco loves playing with his daughters from video games to horse riding and robotics.
FRANS FOLKVORD
CO-FOUNDER
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Frans (PhD) is the co-founder and director of PredictBy and supports the team in executing high impact projects in Europe and beyond. In addition, Frans works as an associate professor at Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences for the program Communication and Information Science in the Netherlands.
Frans has a master’s degree in psychology and sociology, and obtained a PhD in Social Science (cum laude). For the last decade, Frans has been actively involved as a project manager and researcher in several European (e.g, H2020, IMI, Erasmus+) and national projects (e.g., Veni, National Research Grants).
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Frans is an industrious athlete, spending a great amount of his free time on the tennis court or in the gym, swimming, running, and cycling to complete an Iron Man. Raising two young daughters makes him aware of the importance of sustainable behaviour to make the world a better and healthier place.
RESEARCH
CONSULTANTS
JOAN CAMACHO
TECHNICAL LEAD​
​Joan is the Technical Lead at PredictBy with a background in Computer Science and an extensive career in the world of data architecture, information systems and analytics. He has more than 20 years of experience in the information technology sector. Before joining PredictBy he was working for various consultancies in a wide variety of projects and sectors, most of them focused on data governance and management.
He also has experience in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry, where he has always worked in relation to the architecture, care and quality of data processing.
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Joan loves outdoor activities and whenever he can, he escapes with his bike to go on some adventurous trail. When there is no such possibility, the swimming pool is another way of escape.
He also loves a good discussion with friends around a well-stocked table.
MARINA RODÉS SÁNCHEZ
SENIOR MANAGER
EU HEALTH ECONOMICS & POLICY
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Marina joined PredictBy as a Senior Research Consultant in April 2022. Her current research interests include the use of real-world evidence to support digital health innovation; novel policy options for reimbursement, pricing and procurement of health technologies; financing models for health systems; and the interaction between health economics, regulatory issues and data availability.
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Before joining PredictBy, Marina was a project technician at an agency of the Catalan Department of Health, where she worked on EU-funded projects. Prior to that, Marina spent four years at the Office of Health Economics in London, where she conducted research and provided consultancy services on health economics and related policy issues. Marina holds an MSc in Health Economics from City, University of London, and a BSc in Economics from Univer[1]sitat Pompeu Fabra in Spain.
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Outside of work you can find her at a yoga class or buying books she will then struggle finding the time to read.
ANA ROCA-UMBERT WÜRTH
MANAGER
LIFE SCIENCES
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Ana (PhD) is a Manager at PredictBy with a background in life sciences and the biomedical sector. Before joining PredictBy she was a researcher at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona (Spain) where she obtained a PhD in Biomedical Sciences.
Her years as a researcher have given her experience in the field of quantitative analysis, biostatistics, experimental design, and literature reviews. She also has experience in the pharmaceutical industry sector, where she worked delivering and adapting medical product information to healthcare professionals.
Ana has been involved in projects related to genomics and evolutionary biology as well as projects in the field of internationalization of the youth. Currently, Ana is working on several projects in the area of digital healthcare and personalized medicine, while growing in the fields of behavioural sciences and health economics.
Not the sportiest member of the team, you will probably find her playing with and cuddling her dog or trying a new craft project.
JIM INGEBRETSEN CARLSON
SENIOR RESEARCH CONSULTANT
BEHAVIOURAL & DATA SCIENCE
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Jim (PhD) is a Senior Research Consultant at PredictBy and behavioural economics researcher at Open University of Catalonia.
Prior to this, he worked as a post-doctoral researcher at Uppsala University and visiting the Institute for Economic Analysis in Barcelona. He holds a PhD in Economics and a master’s degree in Microeconomics and Econometrics, both at Lund University (Sweden). He is an expert in behavioural economics and experimental design to assess and evaluate impact. He has extensive experience working with large datasets applying statistical techniques such as econometrics, machine learning, statistical- and causal inference.
Jim loves any kind of outdoor activity like hiking, biking, running, you name it. He is a big fan of red wine and good food, but above all he likes to spend time with his sons and girlfriend.
ALESSIA COTTONE
SENIOR RESEARCH CONSULTANT
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​​​Alessia is working as a Senior Research Consultant at PredictBy with a background in Work Psychology. Prior to joining PredictBy, she worked as a Senior Policy and Strategy Advisor for the UK government in Labour Market Strategy (DWP), in the Covid-19 workforce (Cabinet Office) and in the Health Supply Resilience (DHSC).
She has been involved in drafting a long-term strategy to strengthen the UK health supply chain resilience, with a specific focus on international collaboration and heath industry engagement.
​Prior she worked on a series of qualitative and quantitative research roles, including collaborating on the writing of a book on the use of Behavioral Insights for Public Policy.
Alessia holds a Bachelor´s degree in Psychology (U. of Leicester), and Master degree in Work Psychology (U. of Nottingham), as well as a PGDip in Strategic Management and Leadership (Henley Business School). Native Italian speaker, Alessia is also fluent in English.
When not at work you will find Alessia practicing salsa and meditation, running and spending time in the green. Special skills: remembering faces, but not names, and finding the best pistachio gelato in every city she visits.
ANNA JANSANA
SENIOR RESEARCH CONSULTANT
PUBLIC HEALTH
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Anna (PhD) is a Senior Research Consultant at PredictBy with an educational background in clinical epidemiology. Her main research interests are the evaluation of healthcare services and the impact of cardiometabolic multimorbidity on population health.
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Before joining PredictBy, Anna was a post-doctoral researcher at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC-WHO) in Lyon, where she worked in international projects on the impact of cardiometabolic multimorbidity and cancer survival as well as in gender inequalities and cancer related projects in middle- and low-income countries. Anna has wide experience with different research methodologies, for example longitudinal analysis and translational research. As a nurse, she also worked in hospital settings which gave her a comprehensive understanding of the healthcare community needs.
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During her free time, you will probably find her practicing yoga and meditation, spending time by the sea, and discovering new hidden gems in Barcelona.
LUCAS JAVIER SEGAL
SENIOR RESEARCH CONSULTANT
PUBLIC & REGULATORY AFFAIRS
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Lucas is a Senior Research Consultant at PredictBy with a background in public law and international affairs.
He is a qualified lawyer from Argentina (Universidad de Buenos Aires) and is currently finishing a Master's degree in International Relations at the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals in Barcelona. Lucas enjoys working on building bridges between scientific and technological innovation and public policy implementation.
Prior to joining PredictBy, Lucas worked as a regulatory policy advisor at the Public Governance Directorate of the OECD. Before, he served as a legal consultant for many years, both as an in-house lawyer for the Argentine government and judiciary and for an international human rights organisation. Besides, Lucas has been an assistant professor of international law and has participated in several research projects related to transnational regulatory issues across various sectors, such as data governance, public health and energy.
Lucas tries to spend his precious free time on outdoor activities (especially fútbol!), but also enjoys a good book, some fine wine and travelling.
MEREL GRIEPINK
RESEARCH CONSULTANT
SUSTAINABILITY & BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS
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Merel is currently working as a Research Consultant at PredictBy. Her research interests include sustainability challenges, behaviour and research and innovation.
Merel holds a Master's degree in Behavioral Economics and one in Global Business and Sustainability, both from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam. Furthermore, she holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Business Economics from Maastricht University.
Before joining PredictBy, Merel worked at a market research company as a research manager performing consumer research to advise companies on product development.
Outside of work, she´s really into sports and likes to explore new recipes in the kitchen.
JUSTINE FLEUR VAN DER FEEN
RESEARCH CONSULTANT
SOCIAL SCIENCES & DEMOGRAPHY
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Justine Fleur joined the team at PredictBy as a Research Consultant with an educational background in social sciences and demography.
After completing the Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and the Master's degree in Population Studies in Groningen (the Netherlands), she continued her studies by moving to Barcelona to pursue the Research Master's in Sociology and Demography.
Justine complemented her academic journey with extensive experience in research, both qualitative and quantitative, at research agencies conducting projects that focused on (gender) inequalities, education, health, ageing and migration.
Outside work, you can find her on the tennis court or exploring the cities around Barcelona on weekends. Finally, learning the Spanish language is high on her to-do list.
RODRIGO ORTEGA IZQUIERDO
RESEARCH CONSULTANT
DATA SCIENCE & DIGITAL SOCIETY
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Rodrigo is a research consultant at PredictBy, his research interest includes the social dimension of digital technology, data science and modelling for the social science and regulatory AI policies and algorithm fairness.
Rodrigo holds a Bachelor's in Physics from the Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain) and a European Master in Society, Science and Technology from the University of Maastricht (the Netherlands) with a specialization on digital technology on society at the National Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece). Before joining PredictBy, he worked for the Einstein Telescope Preparatory Phase at the High Energy Physics Institute (Barcelona, Spain) in the development of the innovation strategy action plan.
Outside work, Rodrigo enjoys having an active life going swimming and climbing. You will find him in awe at the theatre, cinema or at some exhibition with friends.
NICK DIETRICH
RESEARCH CONSULTANT
BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES
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Nick is a Research Consultant at PredictBy and has an educational background in Psychology. He holds a Bachelor degree in Psychology and a Master degree in Behaviour Change from Radboud University (Nijmegen, The Netherlands) and Master degree in Economic and Consumer Psychology at Leiden University (The Netherlands).
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Before joining PredictBy, Nick worked in the Behavioural Insights Team of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Nick is passionate about applying behavioural insights to find innovative solutions to social and societal challenges. His current research interests include the application of economic psychology and behavioural science to projects related to consumer behaviour, health behaviour and sustainability.
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Outside of work, Nick has a passion for football and enjoys spending his free time traveling, exercising and spending time with his family and friends.
LAURA JUVÉ
RESEARCH CONSULTANT
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Laura Juvé Sánchez (LLM) is a research consultant at PredictBy. As a qualified lawyer from Spain, she recently earned her LLM in National and Global Health Law from Georgetown University Law Center (cum laude), where she specialized in global health law and international human rights law.
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Prior to her role at PredictBy, Laura was a research assistant at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health in Washington, DC, where she focused on global health law, health inequalities, and public policy. Her professional journey also includes serving as a legal intern at the Human Rights Institute of the Central American University in El Salvador and as a legal trainee in the labor law department of the Spanish law firm Garrigues.
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Her current research interests include public policy, regulation, and global health. She is particularly focused on how effective public policy and regulation can improve individual health outcomes.
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Beyond her work, Laura is passionate about sports, especially horse riding and yoga. She also loves to read and travel, immersing herself in new cultures, often capturing her experiences through painting.
FEDERICO PUPPO
RESEARCH CONSULTANT
BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES
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Federico is a research consultant at PredictBy, and a behavioural economics researcher at Università Oberta de Catalunia (UOC). Before Joining PredictBy he worked at other research and consulting firms where he contributed to several behavioural science projects for the European Commission and other European agencies.
He holds a master’s degree in Behavioural Economics from Tilburg University (NL), and a BA in Psychology from Richmond the American International University in London (UK). In previous roles he’s been involved in different projects that allowed him to finetune his knowledge of complex research methodologies (behavioural experiments, impact assessments), and quantitative and qualitative analysis. His main research interest concerns the application of behavioural sciences, behavioural economics, and psychology to public policies.
He is fascinated by the incredible capacity that sport events have in generating outstanding narratives and loves to play football and go out with his bike. Otherwise, you’ll probably find him bothering his neighbours with an electric guitar.
CORPORATE SERVICES & ADMINISTRATION
AGUSTINA DAMINI
CORPORATE SERVICES
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Agustina is graduated in Archaeology and History at the University of Barcelona. During her educational training she worked as a receptionist for different companies related to construction work.
One of them noticed the enthusiasm she had for her work and decided to hire her as an Operations Assistant. In two years, she managed to learn all her tasks and more but when the opportunity arrived to join PredictBy she knew she has the chance to learn more as a Corporate Services & Administration.
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She loves to learn new things, especially languages. She not only speaks Catalan, Spanish, French and English, but also started to learn Arabic. She believes It helps her when she travels (one of her passions).
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If she isn’t at home trying a new pastry recipe  accompanied by Green and Free (her pets) you can find her at paddle lessons or reading a book at the beach.
CARLA ESTEBAN MATÉ
ADMINISTRATION
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Carla is a law student at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona (Spain) and has been working at PredictBy for almost 2 years. Her role in the company consists of administration, communication and often research. She is currently in the third year of her university education and is excited about the idea of specialising in International Law and Legal Translation. She has always dreamed of becoming a lawyer and helping people to live in a fairer world, and thanks to Predictby, she is slowly fulfilling her dream.
As a film buff, she loves to spend hours and hours watching series and films of all genres, always in the original version of course, which reflects her deep interest in languages and translation. Besides this, Carla is also an animal lover. Before, she was the proud owner of a little dog called Kitty, her inseparable companion with whom she played, walked and often shared comforting naps. Now she shares all these moments with Gala, her new puppy.