Shanthi Manian

Shanthi Manian is an Assistant Professor at Washington State University (WSU), holding dual appointments in the School of Economic Sciences and the Paul G. Allen School for Global Health. She is also an Extended Term Consultant with the Africa Gender Innovation Lab at the World Bank. Her research focuses on global health, gender inequality, and development economics, employing innovative methodologies such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs), lab-in-the-field experiments, and natural experiments.

Dr. Manian’s education includes a PhD (2017) and MA (2014) from UC San Diego, and a BSFS from Georgetown University (2006). Her work examines vulnerable populations’ health decisions, gender discrimination in labor markets, and cognitive constraints among the poor. She has conducted fieldwork in Ethiopia, Kenya, the Philippines, Senegal, Uganda, and Mexico, collaborating with national governments, universities, and community organizations. Her research has been funded by USAID, the International Growth Centre (IGC), and the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA).

Her recent studies explore topics such as dog vaccination incentives to reduce rabies, health certification in sex markets, and discrimination’s impact on capital access in Ethiopia. She also investigates socioeconomic mobility in China and the effects of conflict on health behaviors in Mexico.

Dr. Manian’s interdisciplinary approach bridges economics, public health, and gender studies, with a focus on evidence-based policy solutions for global development challenges.