Zihang Li
PhD Candidate in Applied Economics | Auburn University
Health Economics · Industrial Organization · Applied Microeconomics
About
I am a PhD candidate (ABD) in Applied Economics at Auburn University, expected to complete my PhD in July 2027 and available from May 2027. 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 will be on the 2026–2027 academic job market.
Recent News
- Nov. 2026 — Will present at the Southern Economic Association meeting in Houston, TX.
- Sept. 2026 — Job market paper is under review at Health Economics (manuscript).
- July 2026 — Presented at WEAI in Denver, CO.
- June 2026 — Presented job market paper at ASHEcon in Minneapolis, MN (poster).
- 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)