David Smerdon is a Senior Lecturer at The University of Queensland (UQ) School of Economics. His areas of research include behavioral and development economics, with a focus on social norms, the impact of refugee integration, the relationship between inequality and trust, and attempts to stop female genital mutilation.

David received his PhD in Economics from the Tinbergen Institute and the University of Amsterdam (UvA). He is also a chess Grandmaster, which has allowed him to cultivate his skills in problem solving, such as strategic intuition, memory, and an understanding of psychological behavior.