Highlighted Publications




 

Schneider and Harknett (2026) examine whether state and local paid sick leave laws affect workers who are not legally covered through spillovers within large, multi-state firms. They ask whether firm-level exposure to paid sick leave mandates leads companies to extend paid sick leave to workers in non-mandate locations. They analyze linked employer–employee survey data from the Shift Project, combined with administrative data on firm locations and mandate coverage. They find

The study asks whether ransomware attacks on hospitals disrupt care and harm patients. Using a linked dataset of 74 hospital ransomware attacks (2016–2021) combined with Medicare claims, the authors examine changes in hospital operations and patient outcomes during the attacks. They find that hospital volume drops sharply in the first week: ER, inpatient, and outpatient visits fall by 17–24%, and Medicare revenue declines by 19–39%. Most importantly, patients already admitted

This study asked whether state bans on flavored e-cigarettes reduce vaping or lead to more cigarette smoking among young people and adults. Researchers analyzed survey data from 2015–2023 using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System across six states with flavor bans and several control states. They found that flavor bans reduced e-cigarette use among young adults by about 6.7 percentage points in 2022 and among adults by 1.2 points

This study asked whether limiting malpractice payouts in North Carolina affected how doctors make childbirth decisions, especially the use of cesarean deliveries. Using hospital discharge data from North Carolina and Florida from 2008 to 2017, the authors compared outcomes before and after North Carolina’s 2011 cap on noneconomic damages. They found that c-section rates fell by about 5 percent on average, and nearly 7 percent five years after the law took effect. Doctors also

This study asks whether the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansions led to greater use of Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) instead of physicians for childbirth. Using U.S. birth certificate data from 2010 to 2019, the authors compared states that expanded Medicaid to those that did not. They found that Medicaid expansions increased CNM-attended births by about one percentage point—an 11% rise—while physician-attended births declined by a similar amount. The increase occurred

This meta-analysis asked whether text-only e-cigarette warnings about health harms are more effective than the FDA’s nicotine addiction warning. Researchers examined 24 experimental studies including 22,549 participants, measuring outcomes such as attention, risk beliefs, and intentions to vape or quit. Results showed text-only warnings increased attention (d = 0.52), negative emotions (d = 0.65), risk beliefs (d = 0.26), and intentions to quit vaping (d = 0.34), while reduci

This study asked whether participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during early childhood can protect against the long-term cardiovascular effects of food insecurity. Researchers followed 1,071 children from birth to age 22 using data from the Future of Families–Cardiovascular Health Among Young Adults study. They found that early food insecurity was linked to worse cardiovascular health, with a 2.2-point lower Life’s Essential 8 score and 1.4 time

The study asks whether increased adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) improves air quality and infant health in the United States. Using county-level data from 2010–2021 on EV registrations, air pollution (especially nitrogen dioxide), birth outcomes, and child hospital visits, the authors analyze both fixed-effects and instrumental-variable models. They find that a one standard deviation increase in EV adoption—about 12 per 1,000 vehicles—reduces nitrogen dioxide levels by up

This study asked whether food insecurity in early childhood is linked to poorer cardiovascular health in young adulthood and whether participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can reduce these risks. Researchers analyzed data from 1,071 children in the Future of Families–Cardiovascular Health Among Young Adults study, following them from ages 3–5 to about age 22. Early childhood food insecurity was associated with a 2.2-point lower overall Life’s Es

This study examined whether legalizing recreational cannabis in U.S. states affected the use of cannabis, cigarettes, and e-cigarettes over five years. Researchers analyzed data from more than 55,000 adults across the United States using the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study from 2013 to 2022. They compared states that legalized cannabis with those that did not. Cannabis use increased by 3.28 percentage points and e-cigarette (ENDS) use rose by 1.39 poi

This study examined whether proximity to golf courses raises the risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Using Rochester Epidemiology Project...

Short Summary This nationally representative study analyzed 25,847 U.S. children and adolescents from NHANES (2008–2023) to assess...

This study asks whether Medicaid eligibility expansions for pregnant women in the 1980s and 1990s influenced physicians’ practice...

The study asks whether and how Veterans Affairs Disability Compensation for mental health conditions affects veterans’ economic...

This study investigated whether the Massachusetts Medicaid Flexible Services Program (FSP) reduced food insecurity, housing insecurity,...

This study asked whether different trajectories of addictive screen use—specifically social media, mobile phone, and video game use—were...

This study investigates how abortion restrictions following the 2022 Dobbs decision affected rates of intimate partner violence (IPV)...

This study investigates how teacher attrition and mobility in Michigan shifted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using...

This study investigates whether COVID-19 vaccines reduce mortality only through direct protection of vaccinated individuals or also via...

This study investigates whether severe health shocks, such as cancer diagnoses, increase individuals’ likelihood of committing crime....