I am a health economist whose research examines the causes and consequences of health disparities alongside programs designed to improve health for vulnerable and marginalized populations. My current research focuses on the incidence and persistence of health disparities in the United States in a variety of settings. My research spans three topic areas: maternal and child health, school shootings, and patients’ interactions with the healthcare system. For more of my research, see my Google Scholar page.
Select Publications
Longitudinal Analysis of Patient Perspectives on Data Use in Healthcare: Desire for Notification and Concern About Data Sharing (with Paige Nong) Published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine
Uses of patient data have become increasingly varied as precision medicine and artificial intelligence (AI) expand across the US healthcare system. This raises questions about how patient concerns and preferences regarding their data may shift, with implications for willingness to disclose information and the desire for communication around data sharing. Building on previous literature, we conducted a longitudinal survey of US adults to understand how their perceptions of data use are changing and how these perceptions may vary by race.
The Effects of School Shootings on Risky Behavior, Health and Human Capital (with Partha Deb) Published in the Journal of Population Economics
Cited in the Surgeon General’s Advisory on Firearm Violence and the 2025 Economic Report of the President
We examine the effect of school shootings on risky health behaviors, health, and human capital outcomes of exposed students as adults and on their migration during middle and high school and a few years beyond. We use shootings data compiled by the Center for Homeland Defense and Security along with 2003–2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to examine risky behaviors, health, and human capital outcomes, and the 2004–2018 American Community Survey to examine migration. We find that students exposed to school shootings experience declines in health and well-being, engage in more risky behaviors, and have worse education and labor market outcomes as young adults. There is no evidence of migration in response to school shootings.