Zach Brown

Zach Brown is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Michigan and a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His research focuses on empirical industrial organization and applied microeconomics, particularly examining healthcare markets, information frictions, and policy implications. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University (2017) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Bureau of Economic Research (2017–18), funded by the National Institute of Aging. Previously, he served as a Staff Economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

His teaching includes undergraduate courses such as Antitrust and Regulation and graduate-level Industrial Organization II. Research interests span health economics, market structure, pricing algorithms, and healthcare policy. Recent work includes studies on pricing dynamics in digital markets, hospital payment caps in Oregon, and disparities in healthcare access.

• Education: Ph.D., Columbia University (2017); B.A. in Economics and Physics, University of California, Berkeley (2007)
• Funding: Postdoctoral support from NSF and NIA
• Professional Roles: Faculty Research Fellow at NBER

Zach’s awards include the 2025 AEJ Best Paper Award for Competition in Pricing Algorithms, which explores how algorithmic pricing strategies affect market dynamics. His research frequently bridges theoretical models with real-world policy applications, emphasizing evidence-based solutions for complex market challenges.