His research focus is on the theory and empirics of international trade. He is especially interested in using general equilibrium trade models to address macroeconomic issues, such as global imbalances, the political economy of economic policy, migration, income inequality, economic geography and the welfare effects of globalization more generally. Some of his research is published in leading economics journals, such as the Review of Economic Studies, the Review of Economics and Statistics, The Economic Journal, the Journal of International Economics, etc. His teaching interests at Duke Kunshan include international trade, political economy, microeconomics, macroeconomics, mathematical economics.
Epifani has a Five-Year Degree in Economics and Social Sciences from Bocconi University, an MSc. in Economics also from Bocconi and a Ph.D. in Economics from Polytecnic University of Marche, Italy. Before joining Duke Kunshan, he was professor of international economics at the University of Nottingham (2014-25) and head of school of economics at the China campus (2014-17), associate professor of economics at Bocconi (2006-14), assistant professor of economics at the University of Parma (2001-06), and post-doctorate researcher at Bocconi (1998-2000).
