Publication

Reproducibility and robustness of economics and political science research (2026), 652, pages 151–156, Nature (one of many authors, manuscript led by Abel Brodeur, Derek Mikola, Nikolai Cook)

Working Papers 

 Wildfire Smoke and Road Accidents: Evidence  from Alberta  (Job Market Paper) 

Abstract: This paper examines how wildfire smoke exposure affects road safety in Alberta. Combining satellite-based smoke plume data with municipality-day accident records from 2016 to 2022, I find that accident incidents rise on low- and medium-smoke days but fall sharply on heavy-smoke days. Traffic volume data show that vehicle counts remain unchanged when smoke is light yet decline substantially under heavy smoke, indicating that people avoid driving only when conditions are visibly severe. These patterns suggest that on low-smoke days, drivers continue their usual travel but may experience reduced cognitive performance, leading to more accidents even though they do not perceive a risk. The results highlight an overlooked behavioral cost of wildfire smoke exposure and underscore the need for public awareness that smoke can impair cognition and driving safety even when it is not readily perceptible.

Wildfire Smoke and Birth Outcomes: Evidence from Mexico

Abstract: This paper examines the effects of wildfire smoke exposure on birth outcomes in Mexico. I combine satellite-based smoke plume data with individual-level birth records from 2012 to 2023 to estimate the effects of in utero exposure. I find that smoke exposure during pregnancy reduces birth weight, birth length, gestational age, and Apgar score, and increases the probability of low birth weight and preterm birth. These adverse effects vary with the timing of exposure and are largest for smoke exposure during the final weeks of pregnancy. The results provide evidence that wildfire smoke imposes an additional fetal-health cost and that pregnant women are an important vulnerable population as wildfire smoke exposure increases.

 Leverage Adjustment to Carbon Tax: Evidence from British Columbia  (with Chi Man Yip and Wei Feng ) (Draft available upon request)

Abstract: This study investigates how a firm’s capital structure is affected by British Columbia’s carbon tax policy, using confidential data on Canadian manufacturing firms from 2005 to 2015. We find that the carbon tax increases total leverage and short-term leverage among energy-intensive firms; however, it does not affect long-term leverage. Additionally, we find that the effect is concentrated among financially unconstrained firms, a result supported by multiple placebo tests. Overall, our findings suggest that regulators can strengthen the effectiveness of environmental policies while minimizing potential harm to firms by providing targeted support through transition financing.