Michael Lechner

Michael Lechner is a Professor of Economics at the University of St. Gallen (HSG) with a focus on Applied Microeconometrics. His work integrates causal machine learning with labor, health, and sports economics. He holds affiliations with institutions such as the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).

Lechner earned his academic credentials from the University of Mannheim (1990-1998). His research explores topics like policy evaluation, treatment heterogeneity, and the socioeconomic impacts of sports and health interventions. He has published extensively on causal machine learning frameworks and their applications in public policy.

His editorial roles include co-editing Empirical Economics (2014-2017) and serving on editorial boards of journals like German Economic Review and Econometric Reviews. He is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, recognizing his contributions to economic research.

Lechner’s recent work emphasizes causal machine learning to analyze labor market policies, sports participation effects, and pandemic-driven market shifts. His research bridges econometric rigor with modern computational techniques to address real-world policy challenges.