Nikolai Cook

Nikolai Cook is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University. His research focuses on environmental economics, particularly examining how air pollution and climate change impact human behavior and economic outcomes. Cook has published extensively on topics ranging from air pollution's effects on student performance to temperature impacts on gun violence, demonstrating his commitment to understanding the intersection of environmental factors and economic behavior.

Research Interests

Dr. Cook's primary research interests lie at the intersection of environmental and behavioral economics. His work investigates how environmental factors such as air pollution (particularly PM2.5) and temperature variations affect human cognitive performance, educational outcomes, and social behaviors including violence. He has conducted notable research showing that even relatively clean air in Canadian cities like Ottawa negatively impacts student performance, with particular effects on STEM courses. Beyond environmental impacts, Cook is deeply engaged in methodological research examining research transparency, replicability, and publication bias in economics.

His research methodology often combines empirical data analysis with experimental approaches, allowing him to establish causal relationships between environmental factors and human behavior. Cook's work on air pollution demonstrates that simple adaptations like taking exams on upper floors or in newer buildings can mitigate some negative effects, providing practical policy implications.

Research Trends

Analysis of Dr. Cook's recent publications reveals a dual research trajectory: environmental impacts on human behavior and methodological concerns in economic research. His environmental work consistently demonstrates how subtle environmental changes affect significant economic and social outcomes, from student performance to gun violence. The methodological strand of his work addresses critical issues in research transparency, with multiple replication studies and investigations into p-hacking and publication bias. This dual focus positions Cook at the forefront of both substantive environmental economics research and the movement toward more transparent and reliable economic science.

Advising and Research Activities

While specific details about Dr. Cook's advising activities aren't provided in the available information, his research profile suggests he likely mentors students interested in environmental economics, experimental methods, and research methodology. His work on student performance and air pollution indicates engagement with educational policy questions, while his methodological research suggests interest in training students in rigorous empirical techniques. Cook appears to be actively involved in multiple research projects examining climate change impacts, with upcoming work on the relationship between temperature and gun violence.