SLLS Webinar Series 2026: Session 2
Science in Action: Turning Demographic Data into Policy Insight at the Joint Research Centre
About the event
Thursday 26th February 2026
09:00 - 10:00 UK, GMT (10:00 CET Milan-Bruxelles / 20:30 AUS-Adelaide)
Online via Zoom
Science in Action: Turning Demographic Data into Policy Insight at the Joint Research Centre
Alba Bernini, Scientific Project Officer, Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission
About the session
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the European Commission’s in-house science and knowledge service, providing independent, evidence-based support to policymaking across many sectors. Within the JRC, the Demography team brings together economists, sociologists, data scientists and other experts to analyse demographic change in the European Union (EU) through an interdisciplinary lens.
This talk will introduce the JRC’s mandate and its role in the EU policy cycle. An overview of the key thematic strands will be provided, including fertility trends, labour-market dynamics, intergenerational fairness and housing. A particular emphasis will be on population ageing and the challenges for the healthcare and long-term care provision to meet the needs of current and future populations.
The last part of the presentation will focus on the challenge of translating scientific evidence into timely and effective policy. Drawing on concrete examples, the talk will illustrate how the Demography team has produced evidence to inform EU strategies and initiatives, and how research results are made accessible to stakeholders through interactive platforms. The presentation will conclude with an open discussion with the audience on science–policy interaction.
About the speaker
Alba Bernini is a researcher at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, where she develops statistical models and projections to support EU policies addressing complex demographic challenges. With a background in environmental engineering and data science, she enjoys working across different projects and collaborating with researchers from various disciplines. She specializes in translating scientific evidence into actionable insights that support policymaking for current and future EU citizens.
Session convenors
Andreea Piriu (Bocconi University) and Sean Martin (Australian Institute of Family Studies), co-ordinators of the SLLS Policy Group
How to register
Participation in this session is free of charge and open to all, but registration is required.
To register for this session, choose 1 in the 'quantity' dropdown box below (if you are registering a number of people, insert the overall number), then click on the 'Book Now' button and fill in the short form.
The session will be held via Zoom and all registrants will be emailed joining instructions a couple of days before the event. If you do not receive an email, please contact Cat Westlake.
Please consider becoming a member of the SLLS if you are not already. This enables the Society to continue its work, bringing the longitudinal and life course research community together. The membership year runs from January to December.
