Amy Finkelstein

Amy Finkelstein is an American economist renowned for her empirical research in public finance and health economics. A professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a co-director of the J-PAL North America initiative, she is a leading scholar on the effects of public policy and insurance markets. Her influential work, which often utilizes large-scale randomized controlled trials and natural experiments, has earned her prestigious accolades including the John Bates Clark Medal and a MacArthur Fellowship.

Early life and education

Born in New York City, she attended Harvard University for her undergraduate studies, graduating *summa cum laude* with a degree in government. She then pursued a master's degree in economics at the University of Oxford as a Marshall Scholar. Returning to Harvard University, she completed her Ph.D. in economics under the supervision of Lawrence F. Katz. Her doctoral dissertation examined the impact of Medicare on healthcare utilization and outcomes, foreshadowing her future research trajectory.

Academic career

After completing her doctorate, she joined the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2005, where she is now the John & Jennie S. MacDonald Professor of Economics. She is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and has held visiting positions at institutions like the Harvard Kennedy School. A principal investigator with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, she co-founded and co-directs its J-PAL North America office, which partners with policymakers to conduct rigorous evaluations of social programs. She also serves as a co-editor of the *Journal of Public Economics*.

Research and contributions

Her research has profoundly shaped understanding of health insurance markets and government programs. A landmark study on Oregon's Medicaid expansion used a lottery-based randomization to provide the first causal evidence on Medicaid's effects, finding it increased healthcare use and financial security but had mixed effects on measured physical health outcomes. Other major contributions include analyzing the adverse selection in long-term care insurance markets, studying the impacts of Medicare Part D, and investigating the moral hazard associated with health insurance. Her work frequently employs innovative administrative data from sources like the Social Security Administration and large insurance companies.

Awards and honors

She has received numerous distinguished awards for her contributions to economic science. In 2012, she was awarded the John Bates Clark Medal, one of the field's highest honors, for her transformative work in empirical economics. She was named a co-recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in 2018. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Institute of Medicine. Her research has been recognized with the American Economic Association's Elaine Bennett Research Prize and the ASHEcon Medal.

Personal life

She is married to fellow Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist Benjamin Olken. The couple maintains a relatively private life, with her public profile centered on her academic and policy work. Her commitment to mentoring is noted within the economics profession, where she has guided many doctoral students and junior faculty at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and beyond.

Category:American economists Category:Health economists Category:MacArthur Fellows Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty