Research

Working Papers

“Climate Shocks and Gender Gaps in Early-Life Survival in Bangladesh” (2026)

Tropical cyclones can disrupt household resources and access to care, but their effects on infant survival may differ by gender. This paper combines micro-level household data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey with cyclone exposure from IBTrACS over 2002–2022, based on R34 wind fields. Exploiting spatial and temporal variation in exposure in a difference-in-differences framework, the analysis finds that cyclone exposure widens the existing male infant mortality disadvantage by about 0.8 percentage points. The effect is concentrated in the neonatal period and is larger among poor households, while observed parental investments show no corresponding gender difference. The findings point to household resource constraints interacting with male biological vulnerability and underscore the importance of maintaining timely maternal and newborn care during severe storms.

Work in Progress

“When Enforcement Matters: Maternity Leave, Female Employment, and the Gender Gap in Bangladesh” (2025)

This paper studies the effects of Bangladesh’s 2011 maternity leave reform on female employment and gender gaps in the labor market, using a quasi-experimental design.

Economics of Fire-Based Land Treatments

Wildfire is one of the most economically consequential natural hazards in the United States. I am part of a research team working on multiple papers investigating whether and how prescribed fire can serve as an effective tool for reducing these economic costs at the community level.

Research Interests

• Development Economics
• Environmental Economics
• Health Economics
• Labor Economics
• Economics of Natural Disasters