Jan P.A.M. Jacobs studied econometrics at the University of Groningen and played volleyball at the international level (46 caps). After a brief spell at Philips Medical Systems, he returned to his alma mater and graduated in 1998 on "Econometric Business Cycle Research".
He is an associate professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen where he teaches Applied Macroecometrics for Research Masters students and supervises bachelors, master and PhD thesis.
He published more than forty articles in peer-reviewed journals in economics (Journal of Econometrics, Journal of Applied Econometrics, Macroeconomics Dynamics, Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Journal of Macroeconomics), law (International Journal of Law in the Built Environment), and medicine (BMC Family Practice, Economics and Human Biology).
His current interests include empirical macroeconomics, including macroeconomic modeling, business cycles and financial crises, quantitative economic history, statistics in law, and health economics.
He is a Fellow of the Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisation and Management), a fellow of the Centre for International Banking, Insurance and Banking (CIBIF), a fellow of the N.W. Posthumus Institute, a fellow of the Euro Area Business Cycle Network, a research associate of the Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, and an associate fellow of CIRANO, Montréal, Canada.