Mustafa Hussein

Mustafa Hussein is an Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Economics at the City University of New York’s Graduate School of Public Health and an IRP faculty affiliate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research focuses on the intersection of economic policies and health outcomes, particularly the impacts of living wage ordinances on labor markets and health disparities. He has examined how these policies affect wage inequality, healthcare access, and mental/physical health among low-wage workers. His work integrates data from population surveys (e.g., Community Tracking Study) and policy analyses to assess effects on employment, insurance coverage, and health behaviors. Key contributions include studies on Medicaid expansions, gig worker safety, and the biological correlates of socioeconomic stress. He has also conducted cross-cultural validation of health measurement tools for Arabic-speaking populations.

• PhD Research: Living wage ordinances’ effects on labor markets, health outcomes, and policy implementation.
• Grants: Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for studies on living wage policies.
• Collaborations: Partnerships with sociologists, epidemiologists, and public health practitioners.

His research bridges economic interventions and healthcare equity, emphasizing the role of social policies in reducing health disparities.