Elizabeth Brainerd

Elizabeth Brainerd is the Susan and Barton Winokur Professor of Economics at Brandeis University, with a dual appointment in the Economics Department and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Her research focuses on labor and health economics, economic demography, and the interplay between family policies and demographic outcomes in post-Soviet and Eastern European contexts. She has conducted extensive studies on Russia, the former Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe, analyzing topics such as mortality trends, fertility decline, and the socioeconomic impacts of economic transitions.

• Research Interests: Alcohol policy impacts, family policies, maternal employment, post-communist health systems, and cultural influences on fertility
• Key Geographic Focuses: Russia, Eastern Europe, South Asia

Her recent work examines how anti-alcohol campaigns influenced health and family dynamics, the role of maternity benefits in marital stability, and the long-term effects of World War II on Russian demographics. She has also explored the hidden environmental costs of agricultural policies in India and the intersection of religion and child health outcomes in South Asia and Eastern Europe.

Brainerd’s articles consistently bridge economic theory with empirical demographic analysis, often using historical data to inform contemporary policy debates. Her work on mortality in post-Soviet Russia has highlighted how economic reforms exacerbated health disparities, while her studies on family policies demonstrate nuanced relationships between state interventions and demographic behaviors.