Orla Doyle currently a Lecturer at the University College Dublin School of Economics and a Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the UCD Geary Institute. The core focus of her research is a micro analysis of human behaviour. Her reseach interests include the economics of human development, health economics, political behaviour, early child development and education, developmental psychology and methods for evaluating policy interventions. Doyle is the principal investigator on three early childhood projects: the six-year experimental evaluation of the 'Preparing for Life' early childhood intervention, an HRB project grant on experimental methodology, and the evaluation of the 'Ready, Steady, Grow' early intervention programme. She leads a team of ten senior and junior researchers.

Doyle received her B.A. in Economics and Social Science (TCD) and a Ph.D. in Economics from Trinity College Dublin in 2005.