Zihang Li
PhD Candidate in Applied Economics | Auburn University
Health Economics · Industrial Organization · Applied Microeconomics · Financial Economics
About
I am a PhD candidate in Applied Economics at Auburn University, graduating in August 2026. My research uses quasi-experimental methods—regression discontinuity, difference-in-differences, triple-difference, Poisson DID, and machine learning—to study how regulatory and insurance-design choices shape firm-level innovation and household treatment decisions.
My work spans health economics, industrial organization, and applied microeconomics, with a particular interest in how policy thresholds reshape pediatric mental health care and how pharmaceutical deregulation affects innovation in emerging markets.
I am currently on the 2025–2026 academic job market.
Recent News
- June 2026 — Presenting job market paper at ASHEcon in Minneapolis, MN.
- July 2026 — Presenting at WEAI in Denver, CO.
- Nov. 2025 — Presented at the Southern Economic Association meeting in Tampa, FL.
Contact
- Email: zzl0134@auburn.edu
- Office: 106-D Miller Hall, Auburn, AL 36849
- Affiliation: Auburn University Health Economics Research Group (AUHERG)