Olga Biosca
Reader in Social Business and Microfinance
Glasgow Caledonian University
Dr Biosca’s research focuses primarily on financial inclusion, microfinance, health and wellbeing. She is particularly interested in how income is linked to health and wellbeing, and how financial exclusion and financial management strategies mediate this association at a microeconomic level in advanced and developing contexts. Olga is also experienced in transnational comparative research dealing with exclusion and vulnerable groups. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Sheffield, and an MSc degree in Development Economics from the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain.
Her research has been funded by organisations such as the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) of the Scottish Government’s Health Directorates, the EU Commission Horizon 2020 programme, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, and the British Council.
She has published in journals including Social Science and Medicine, Health Policy and Planning, and the Journal of Development Studies. She is a co-founder and member of the Iberoamerican Network of Development Studies and chairs the scientific committee of the Iberoamerican Conference of Development Studies. She is also a research associate at the Centre for European Research in Microfinance.
Olga currently supervises six PhD students in the broad areas of:
- Contribution of microfinance, social enterprise and other Civil Society initiatives to health and well-being.
- The economics of social business and microfinance.
- Financial vulnerability and exclusion.