Not Too Hot to Run: Adaptation to Extreme Heat in Competitive Runners (with Mahyar Rezazadeh)

Does adaptation mitigate the effects of extreme heat on human performance? We explore this question using a unique dataset of thousands of track races organized by the World Athletics Organization (WAO) worldwide. By combining race results with reanalysis data on local environmental conditions, we examine how extreme heat impacts runners’ speed and whether previous exposure to high temperatures reduces this effect.

Working paper

Study Permits vs. Express Entry: The Impact of Immigration Pathways on Long-Term Economic Outcomes (with Kiarash Hosseini)

This project examines how different immigration pathways impact newcomers’ long-term economic outcomes. Using confidential data from the Canadian Immigration Database and an event study approach, it compares income and employment trends between economic immigrants and those who first entered Canada on student visas before obtaining permanent residency. By combining event study methods with matching techniques, the research aims to provide insights into the effectiveness of Canada’s immigration policies and their role in economic integration.

First Nations and the Reserve Penalty: Sorting or Location Effects?

Income disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians are well documented, but less attention has been paid to inequality within the registered First Nations population, particularly the large and persistent income gap between individuals living on and off reserve—the “reserve penalty.” This project examines the sources of this gap using confidential census and administrative microdata within an urban economics framework. It evaluates two explanations: place-based disadvantages on reserve versus sorting driven by differences in human capital. The findings strongly support sorting. A substantial gap remains after controlling for observable characteristics, but longitudinal estimates with individual fixed effects reduce the gap by over 80 percent, from about 25 percent to 4 percent. The evidence indicates that the reserve penalty primarily reflects differences in unobserved human capital, rooted in persistent disparities in initial endowments rather than lower on-reserve productivity.