DrEsma Koca

I am Esma Koca, a researcher and lecturer at Imperial College Business School. My work examines how digitisation and AI reshape markets, business models and social outcomes, drawing on tools from game theory and analytics. I hold a PhD from Imperial College London and a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, and I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

I am particularly interested in the digital economy and the economics of AI, studying how algorithmic and data-driven systems influence strategy, competition and market design. A central focus of my work is human–AI interaction: how people perceive, trust and collaborate with AI, how these hybrid decision processes evolve and how they affect outcomes for firms, consumers and society. I also investigate digital platforms and interactive environments, including product release and monetisation strategies in digital games.

A second strand of my research focuses on analytics for society, including projects in healthcare and pharma, as well as work with non-profit organisations. I am affiliated with the Centre for Health Economics & Policy Innovation and the Gandhi Centre for Inclusive Innovation, and I contributed to Imperial College’s COVID-19 Response Team during 2020–2021.

At the Business School, I teach across the Full-Time MBA, MSc Business Analytics and undergraduate programmes, and currently serve as Deputy Academic Director for both the Full-Time and Weekend MBA programmes.