William H. Dow

William H. Dow is a Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health and holds a concurrent appointment in the Department of Demography. He joined the Berkeley faculty in 2004 and has held leadership roles including Founding Associate Director of the Berkeley Population Center (since 2005), Director of the Center on the Economics and Demography of Aging (since 2013), and Interim Dean of the School of Public Health (2018-2019). His research focuses on health economics, global health, and economic demography, with emphasis on vulnerable populations. He has advised the White House Council of Economic Advisers and collaborates internationally on projects in Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Tanzania, and Japan.

Educations:

• PhD in Economics, Yale University
• BA in Economics (Summa Cum Laude), Cornell University

Research Interests: Dow explores how economic policies influence health outcomes, including health insurance reforms, paid leave policies, and behavioral economic strategies for HIV prevention. His work analyzes determinants of longevity (e.g., Costa Rica’s exceptional aging patterns) and evaluates interventions to reduce health disparities. Recent studies examine racial inequities in paid leave access and the impact of financial incentives on healthcare adherence.

Grant Activities:

• Recipient of a $2.8M award for Tanzania HIV research (2021)
• Principal investigator for the Caribbean American Dementia and Aging Study (CADAS)
• Leads studies on employer responses to paid leave policies during the pandemic

Labs/Teams: Directs the Berkeley Population Center (BPC) and Center on the Economics and Demography of Aging (CEDA), and collaborates with the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA).