User:Aaustin00/Isabelle Amano

Isabelle Amano is a Canadian economist who as of 2019, serves as the Director General of the Analytical Studies Branch of Statistics Canada. She started her career at the Bank of Canada in the Monetary and Financial Analysis Department before acquiring a new position in the International Department. Her current position includes leading programs of research in the health, social and economic fields for the Government.

Early life and education
Amano expressed an early interest in economics in high school, after taking an introductory economics course. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in Honours Economics at the University of Windsor and a Masters of Arts in Economics from Queens University, specializing in monetary theory and Macroeconomics. Amano has stated that when she graduated with her Bachelor's she was the only woman left at graduation and that there were only a few women remaining at the end of the program when she received her Masters.

Career
Amano began working at the Bank of Canada as an economist in 1992. Prior to this she held a variety of positions focusing on economic and policy analysis in the domestic and international sectors, including working at Department of Finance, holding the position of Director of the Economic Analysis and Forecasting Division. At the Department of Finance she was in charge of the economic forecast for the Government of Canada and analysis on broad macroeconomic and key policy issues. This title also included coordinating the the economic forecast for the Government of Canada and she also worked U.S macroeconomic analysis and forecasting, international coordination and policy development development for the G-7, G-20 and APEC finance ministers processes.

As of 2019 Amano works as the Director General of the Analytical Studies Branch of Statistics Canada, where she works with a research team on policy-relevant research, data development, modelling across economic, social, and health domains.

Research
Amano's research focuses include Big Data, analysis and research on economic, health and social issues and the acting forces between them, data development, and modelling and predictive analysis. She has stated that Big Data can "enable novel research designs that allow researchers to trace the consequences of different events or policies".

With her research team Amano researches the areas of innovation and the new economy, environment, clean technology and growth, global competitiveness, dynamism and economic adaptability, immigration, jobs and employment, as well as topics such as financial wellbeing, health, and education, skills, and training.

The goal of the research done by Amano's department is to provided relevant and timely information on economic, health and social issues to Canadians and academic institutions. Using a large range of statistical information, scientific deductions about the evolving nature of the Canadian economy and society are generated. Research questions are answered by Amano using microsimulation and predictive analytics using linked and integrated administrative and survey data. These research results are disseminated by the branch using papers, studies, videos and blogs.

The branch run by Amano has created a series called "The Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series" intended to circulate academic papers to promote discuss about a variety of topics, such as labor, pension, agriculture and immigration. This research is also distributed to research institutes and specialty libraries.

Research is made available to external researchers and policy makers to support evidence based policies.