Dr Marta Coelho holds a BSc and an MSc in Economics, as well as a PhD in Behavioural Economics from the LSE. Marta opted early on for a career in academia which she has complemented with consulting engagements in her chosen fields of research. Over time, her research interests started distancing themselves from the assumption of pure rationality in decision making. The implications of irrationality, and notably of unrealistic optimism, on private and public sector decision making including in negotiation contexts fascinate her and are the focus of her work. 

Marta led a very successful Negotiation course for several years at the LSE. Her work on Negotiation and Decision Making has been widely acknowledged and are central to her teaching and coaching work. 

Marta’s research interests lie primarily in analysing behavioural biases and their implications on individuals’ decision making, and for the functioning and efficiency of firms. There are three strands to her research: over-optimistic biases and decision making; firm's efficiency and public policy.