I am an health economist and associate professor in the Department of Health Policy & Management at Indiana University-Indianapolis, Fairbanks School of Public Health. I am also a research affiliate at the IZA Institute of Labor Economics and University of Wisconsin’s Center for Financial Security. Previously, I was an assistant professor at American University’s School of Public Affairs.
I study the impacts of public programs and policies on individuals’ health. Three particular areas of interest are: 1) the relationship between health insurance, public program participation, and health; 2) policies to improve health behaviors and mental health; and 3) reducing behavioral health inequities. My work has been published in journals such as Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, JAMA Oncology, JAMA Internal Medicine, and Health Affairs, and has received external grant funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Bureau of Economic Research, and the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy.
I completed my PhD in Business Economics and Public Policy at Indiana University in Bloomington. Prior to my graduate studies, I worked as an economist at IHS Global Insight and as an analyst at the US International Trade Commission. I received my M.A. in economics and B.A. in economics and journalism from Boston University, where I was a recipient of the Trustee Scholarship for academic excellence.
Selected Publications:
The Impact of Health Insurance on Preventive Care and Health Behaviors: Evidence from the First Two Years of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansions (Journal of Policy Analysis and Management)
(Health Economics)
Association Between Medicaid Expansion and Rates of Opioid-Related Hospital Use (JAMA Internal Medicine)