Gautam Rao

Gautam Rao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Harvard University, appointed since 2015, and was promoted in 2019. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from UC Berkeley (2014). Additionally, he is a post-doctoral research fellow at Microsoft Research Labs, New England. His research integrates psychological insights into economic analysis, focusing on development, behavioral, political, and labor economics, particularly in global contexts. Key projects include studying educational integration in Indian schools, voting motivations tied to social image, and financial contract innovations for healthcare in rural India.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Economics, UC Berkeley, 2014

Research Interests:

• Behavioral Economics: Examines decision-making influenced by social and psychological factors.
• Development Economics: Analyzes poverty, education, and healthcare in developing nations.
• Political Economics: Explores voting behavior and governance dynamics.
• Labor Economics: Studies employment and worker incentives.

Advising and Grants: No specific advising or grant details provided. Affiliated with Microsoft Research Labs, New England, but no lab/teams explicitly mentioned beyond this.