Research

• 2024: "Pension reforms and couples' labour supply decisions," Labour Economics, 91: 102627. Link (with Patrick Puhani and Joanna Tyrowicz)
  This study examines how retirement options for husbands and wives impact their labour supply decisions using a regression discontinuity design. In the context of German pension reforms, which have tightened early retirement possibilities, we find that coordination in retirement decisions between spouses was more prevalent and symmetrical before the reforms, but less so after. This sheds light on the role of early retirement possibilities in shaping couples’ reactions to one spouse’s retirement age. 

• 2024: "Burden of disease scenarios for 204 countries and territories, 2022–2050: a forecasting analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021," The Lancet, 403.10440: 2204-2256. Link (with GBD 2021 Forecasting Collaborators)
  This comprehensive analysis forecasts the global burden of disease and its implications for public health policy, offering a forward-looking perspective on the challenges posed by health issues worldwide.

• 2021: "A nonparametric approach to evolutionary oligopoly games: an application to the crude oil industry," Economic Modelling, 101: 105547. Link
  This paper applies a nonparametric approach to study evolutionary oligopoly dynamics, focusing on the crude oil industry to understand the behavior of firms in competitive, strategic environments.

• 2020: "Price and non-price competition in an oligopoly: an analysis of relative payoff maximizers," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, 30: 507–521. Link
  This research delves into the dynamics of price and non-price competition in oligopolies, shedding light on how firms maximize their payoffs under varying competitive strategies.

• 2018: "Asymmetric oligopoly and evolutionary stability," Mathematical Social Sciences, 96: 1–9. Link (with Wolfgang Leininger)
  This article examines the evolutionary stability of asymmetric oligopolies, providing insights into the long-term dynamics of market imbalances and firm behavior.

• 2011: "The socioeconomic and demographic determinants of crime in Iran (a regional panel study)," European Journal of Law and Economics, 32(1): 99–114. Link (with G. K. Haddad)
  This study investigates the regional socioeconomic and demographic factors that contribute to crime in Iran, offering valuable data for policy interventions aimed at reducing crime.

In my current research, I employ causal machine learning methodologies to draw robust inferences from observational studies, leveraging high-dimensional individual-level health databases. 

• A causal analysis of the impact of early antibacterial therapy on ICU patient outcomes for sepsis (joint with Nader M. Moghaddam)

Under Review at BMC Infectious Diseases. Preprint available here 

In this ongoing study, we assess the causal effect of timely antibiotic administration on sepsis outcomes using a Double Machine Learning (DML) approach. We utilized the eICU Collaborative Research Database to evaluate the effects of administering antibiotics within the first three hours of sepsis recognition, following the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines. Preliminary findings suggest that early treatment significantly reduces the length of hospital and ICU stays, with a reduction of -1.73 days (95% CI [-2.33, -1.13]) for hospital stays and -0.67 days (95% CI [-0.98, -0.37]) for ICU stays. However, no significant impact was found on mortality rates, highlighting the importance of timely treatment for improving resource utilization and patient recovery.

• COPD Prevalence and Urbanization (joint with Nader M. Moghaddam, Arash Rashidian, and Eugenio Zucchelli, work in progress)

This study explores the impact of urbanization on COPD prevalence and mortality, with a focus on addressing causal challenges. Using preliminary data from the Global Burden of Disease study, WHO, and environmental datasets, we employ a Two Stage Least Squares (2SLS) regression framework with historical urbanization proxies as instrumental variables. Our work-in-progress highlights disparities by socioeconomic factors and aims to inform urban and health policies. This research contributes to understanding the links between urbanization and chronic diseases, aligning with global health priorities.

• Racial disparities in ICU patient outcomes (joint with Eugenio Zucchelli and Owen O'Donnell, work in progress)
  This research examines racial disparities in patient outcomes in intensive care units, investigating how systemic factors and healthcare access contribute to unequal health outcomes across different racial groups.

• The Effect of Retirement on Health: Evidence from Blood Samples (joint with Patrick A. Puhani, work in progress)
  Utilizing data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA), this project explores how retirement, as an exogenous shock to lifestyle, influences health outcomes, particularly focusing on physical activity and self-reported health satisfaction. Our preliminary findings suggest that retirement leads to increased physical activity and higher health satisfaction in England.