DJ Thornton

I am a PhD candidate at UNSW Sydney studying microeconomic theory. My research is focused on collective action problems on social networks, and more recently on cognitive economics. I will be joining the Manos Institute for Cognitive Economics as a Postdoctoral Fellow in September of 2025.

I completed my undergraduate degrees in Pure Math (with Honours) and Commerce. My 2019 honours thesis was on the theory of the giant component and information cascades in random graphs.

I was the youngest lecturer for the faculty of Economics at UNSW in 2020 when I began lecturing at age 23. I have an extensive teaching record and have lectured 14 courses and tutored 20 courses since 2018, spanning economic theory, economic history, applied microeconomics, and econometrics.

Outside of academia, I love music, philosophy, coffee, and most importantly spending time with my family. My wife and I also run a paediatric occupational therapy clinic. You can find some photos of my wonderful family here.