Bryce McLaughlin

Email Contact: bryce.h.mclaughlin [at] gmail [dot] com 

Postdoctoral Researcher

Wharton Healthcare Analytics Lab

University of Pennsylvania

Biography

Hi, my name is Bryce and I am a Postdoctoral Researcher under the guidance of Hamsa Bastani at the Wharton Healthcare Analytics Lab. I completed my PhD in 2024 with the Operations, Information & Technology group at the Stanford Graduate School of Business under the guidance of Jann Spiess. I am on the 2024-25 academic job market.

My research focuses on the development of data-driven algorithms to assist human decision-making. I integrate insights from operations (given uncertainty how do we make the best decisions), machine learning (how can we use data to reduce uncertainty), and behavioral economics (how does human behavior systematically deviate from rational expectations) in simple models. I then test these models in lab experiments to judge their validity before using them to develop more effective decision support tools. 

My core message is simple: the optimal way to use data for decision-making is not the optimal way to use data for assistance. The latter can integrate information from human decision-makers and their decision-making processes to selectively provide high quality advice for the decision-maker without creating excessive noise. 

Prior to my research career I drove Lyft in the Greater Boston Area and earned a BSc in Mathematics from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California. I grew up in Groton, Massachusetts. In my free time I enjoy dancing, planning and taking road trips to national parks and forests, playing board and card games, and following various sports seasons (particularly the NBA, NFL, and Formula 1).