Alessandro Ferrara, Ph.D.

Alessandro Ferrara is a post-doctoral researcher at the Free University in Berlin and a visiting researcher in the Global Sociology unit. He is also a research fellow at the WZB Health and Social Inequality Research Group and the Einstein Center for Population Diversity. He holds a PhD in Social and Political Sciences from the European University Institute in Florence. His research focuses on social stratification, migration, and health and educational inequalities.

Recent publications

Ferrara, A., Heisig, J.P., Radl, J. and A. Scheinert (2025) Parental Health Shocks and Child Outcomes at Ages 17–25: Evidence From Germany. Journal of Marriage and Family

Ferrara, A. & Cozzani, M. (2025) Explaining immigrant-native differences in health at birth: the role of immigrant selectivity in Spain, Population Studies.

Ferrara, A. & Salikutluk, Z. (2024) Ambitious, misaligned, or uncertain? The occupational and educational aspirations of immigrant-origin youth in Germany, Journal of Ethnic and Migration studies, 51(5).

Ferrara, A., Grindel, C. & Brunori, C. (2024) A Longitudinal perspective to migrant Health: Unpacking the immigrant health paradox in Germany, Social Science and Medicine, 351.

Ferrara, A. & Luthra, R. (2024) Explaining the attainment of the second-generation: When does parental relative education matter?. Social Science Research, 120.

Ferrara, A. & Brunori, C. (2023) Immigrant generation, gender, and citizenship: evidence on educational track choices from Italy. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.

Ferrara, A. (2023) Aiming too high or scoring too low? Heterogeneous immigrant–native gaps in upper secondary enrollment and outcomes beyond the transition in France. European Sociological Review 39(3).

Borgonovi, F., Ferrara, A. & Piacentini, M. (2023) From asking to observing. Behavioural measures of socio-emotional and motivational skills in large-scale assessments. Social Science Research, 112.

Borgonovi, F., Ferrara, A. (2023) COVID-19 and inequalities in educational achievement in Italy. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 83.

Borgonovi, F., Ferrara, A. (2023) Exposure to Mathematics in Secondary Education and Its Economic Benefits — The Role of Mathematics Achievement, Attitudes, and Self-Beliefs, in Alvaro Choi, Economic Foundations of Education, Bloomsbury.