EcoEchoes

Episode 19: Orla Doyle and early childhood development interventions

This episode's guest is Orla Doyle, Professor at the School of Economics at University College Dublin and Director of the UCD Childhood and Human Development Research Center. We discuss her extensive experience, both in conducting research and valorizing its societal impact through policy. An excellent example is the 'Preparing For Life' - trial, an early childhood intervention, of which the age-14 follow-up study has recently been wrapped up. Read more about the trial: https://geary.ucd.ie/preparingforlife/. 
 
Guest: Orla Doyle (Professor at the School of Economics, University College Dublin) 
Hosts: Andrea De Palma and Dyllis De Pessemier 
 
Timestamps: 
(00:35) Introduction and research focus 
(09:35) The role of economists in the field of early childhood development studies 
(12:11) The 'Preparing For Life' - trial 
(30:20) Societal impact of the 'Preparing For Life' - trial 
(35:30) Project management as a researcher 
(40:15) Creating positive impact through research 
(44:15) Tips for PhD students 
 

Episode 18: Alexander Ahammer on health and labour economics

In this episode, Alexander Ahammer, an applied microeconomist, chats with and Prithvi and Andrea after his presentation about his working paper "The labor and health economics of breast cancer" co-authored with Gerald J. Pruckner and Flora Stiftinger. The paper uses Austrian microdata to study how a breast cancer diagnosis impacts health expenditures and labor market outcomes. They find that a diagnosis increases inpatient health expenditure, imposes a wage penalty and reduces work hours in comparison to other women of similar age who do not get diagnosed with breast cancer. They argue that a potential reason for reduced work hours is a change in time preferences rather than incapacitation or employer discrimination. Ahammer also shares his research interests in general and gives advice for early-career researchers on finding meaningful research questions and improving presentation skills.
Guest: Alexander Ahammer (Assistant professor at the Johannes Kepler University Linz and a Research Affiliate at IZA Institute of Labor Economics)  
Hosts: Prithviraj Basu Mallik and Andrea De Palma
  
Timestamps: 
(01:14) Ahammer introduces himself and summarizes the paper
(07:00) The paper's research methodology and data 
(14:17) Ahammer’s broader research agenda
(18:23) Discussion of how to choose research projects. Low hanging fruit vs "big" research ideas
(23:40) The importance of presentation skills and telling a story
 
If you would like to donate for breast cancer research, we have put a link for you here. 

Conference Review 1: lolaHESG

Happy New Year and welcome back! 
In this short episode, Fanny and Prithvi share their own experience at the Lowlands Health Economists' Study Group (lolaHESG) conference, outlining how the program is structured and highlighting key activities and tips on how to make the best of the experience. 
This episode marks the start of a series of conference reviews, so stay tuned for more firsthand insights!
 
 

Episode 17: Sofía Fernández-Guerrico on how Internet access and trade can impact health

This episode features Sofía Fernández-Guerrico, assistant professor of Economics at the University of Konstanz, discussing her research on the intersection of labor markets, technology, and health. The conversation revolves around her studies on the effects of broadband Internet on mental health, trade liberalization's impact on health in Mexico, and the broader implications of work-related and societal changes on well-being. The discussion concludes with reflections on mental health in academia.
 
Guest: Sofía Fernández-Guerrico (Assistant professor at the University of Konstanz)  
Hosts: María-José Mendoza and Fanny Tallgren
  
Timestamps: 
(00:38) Sofía introduces herself and her research in Labor and Health Economics 
(03:09) How Internet access shapes mental health: research context and design
(12:10) Unpacking the mechanisms: the impact of Internet access on mental health
(27:44) The importance of “right to disconnect” policies for mental health
(30:23) Trade liberalization’s health consequences in Mexico
(39:39) Reflections on mental health in academia and tips for early-career researchers 
 
References:
Article: The Effect of Broadband Expansion on Mental Health (with Ilan Tojerow) (work in progress)
Guerrico, S. F. (2021). The effects of trade-induced worker displacement on health and mortality in Mexico. Journal of health economics, 80, 102538.
Podcast episodes: How to thrive at work and How to fail at work
 

Episode 16: Carlos Riumallo Herl on how to encourage people to go for screenings!

This episode's guest is Carlos Riumallo Herl, who is an assistant professor at the Erasmus School of Economics. His research focuses on healthy ageing and the role of prevention, especially in low- and middle income countries. We discuss one of his most recent publications, shared work with Mylene Lagarde, which explores the impact of individual and group incentives to encourage cardiovascular check-ups in El Salvador. We discuss his experiences with field experiments and he shares tips and tricks on dealing with different stakeholders in a research project. 
  
Guest: Carlos Riumallo Herl (Assistant professor at the Erasmus School of Economics)  
Hosts: Karen Trujillo Jara and Fanny Tallgren 
  
Timestamps: 
(01:00) Introduction and research focus 
(02:05) Discussion of recent publication, in collaboration with Mylene Lagarde: "Better together? Group incentives and the demand for prevention", published in the Journal of Development Economics. 
(03:38) Aims & objectives of the project 
(07:16) Group incentives 
(15:32) Discussion of the results 
(33:10) Experiences with field experiments 
(37:35) Managing different stakeholders' interests and expectations in research  
  
References: 
Article: Lagarde, M., Herl, C.R. (2025). Better together? Group incentives and the demand for prevention. Journal of Development Economics, 103365.  

Episode 15: Mario Macis on the importance of trust in healthcare-seeking behavior

In this episode, Mario Macis discusses his research on trust and healthcare-seeking behavior. He provides insights into the challenges and implications of trust in the healthcare system, linking it to topics like COVID-19, the role of public institutions, and differences in healthcare trust across political lines. Mario also shares his career experiences and advice for junior scholars on publishing and navigating academia.
 
Guest: Mario Macis (Professor of Economics and Management at Johns Hopkins University)
Hosts: Fanny Tallgren and María-José Mendoza
 
Timestamps:
(1:59) Marco presents his diverse research interests and expertise
(6:53) The role of trust in economics and healthcare
(13:32) Explanation of the theoretical model of trust and healthcare-seeking behavior
(27:28) The observed association between trust and healthcare-seeking behavior
(39:08) COVID-19 and the political divide in trust towards public health agencies
(48:47) Mario shares guidance on publishing and reflects on his future research directions 
 
References:
Working paper: Trust and Health care-seeking behavior
Working paper mentioned about use of qualitative data: Haaland et al. (2024)

Episode 14: Marco Varkevisser on the Dutch healthcare system and its sustainability

In this episode, Marco Varkevisser delves into the Dutch healthcare system and its sustainability, providing an helpful overview and insights from his most recent research on the topic. He discusses practical case studies, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlights the current challenges within healthcare. Marco also offers valuable advice for teachers and aspiring students based on his experiences and academic recognition.
 
Guest: Marco Varkevisser (Full Professor at the Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management)
Hosts: Fanny Tallgren and Karen Trujillo Jara
 
Timestamps:
(02:12) Marco's research expertise and interests
(06:01) An introduction to the Dutch healthcare system and its sustainability
(18:01) The Dutch basic benefit package and the role of stakeholders
(26.45) The issue of global shortage of healthcare labour
(29.20) COVID-19 case: did the Dutch healthcare system cope well?
(32:37) The trade-off between collaboration and competition
(43:03) Future research on planetary health
(45:22) Advice for teachers and future students
 
References:
Report: Sustainability and Resilience in the Dutch Health System 
Journal article: Competition and collaboration in health care: reconciling the irreconcilable? Lessons from The Netherlands

Episode 13: Lisa Voois on Health-related Expectations and Behaviors

In this episode, we are chatting to Lisa Voois about her PhD thesis on health-related expectations and behaviours. We are also joined for the first time by our new co-host, Andrea! We first talk about her single authored paper "When the sun goes down: Effects of sunset time on adolescent sleep, mental health and education". We then discuss research of beliefs and expectations more generally. In her thesis, Lisa analysed the accuracy of long-term care risk perceptions and retirement expectations.  
 
Guest: Lisa Voois (Assistant Professor at the Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management.)
Hosts: Fanny Tallgren and Andrea De Palma
 
Timestamps:
(01:25) Brief summary of Lisa's thesis 
(03:00) Introduction to Lisa's single authored paper on the effects of sunset time on adolescent sleep, mental health and education
(14:45) Discussion of the results of the paper  
(21:33) Experience writing a single-authored paper  
(27:25) Measuring beliefs / perceptions / expectations  
(38:00) Role of beliefs in influencing behaviours such as planning for retirement
(43:10) Contribution of thesis to society 
 
 
References:
Book: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker (2017)
 

Episode 12: Marlies Bär on the Effect of Delayed Nursing Home Admission

In this episode, Marlies discusses her research on delayed nursing home admissions, how they impact the hospitalization sector and other spillover effects. She also reflects upon her PhD, sharing useful tips around how to survive your PhD and the importance of research visits.
Guest: Marlies Bär (Assistant professor at the Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management) 
Hosts: Fanny Tallgren and Karen Trujillo Jara
Timestamps: 
(00:55) Introduction and her research in resource allocation in long-term care
(04:48) Effects of delayed nursing home admissions - Research aim, methodology and causes of delayed admissions
(13:53) Consequences of delayed admissions - Impact on hospitalization rates and cost-benefit evaluation
(24:13) Policy implications - Importance of media outreach, better admission criteria and research timing
(29:22) Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on nursing home demand
(31:02) External research visit - Why should you do it?
(37:11) What to do after a PhD and tips for surviving the PhD journey
 
Link to working paper: Spillover Effects of Delayed Nursing Home Admissions on Hospitalisations and Costs

Episode 11: Bram Wouterse on the value of prevention and long-term care

In this episode Bram explains key elements of the economics of prevention and long-term care, highlighting applied research in the Dutch context. He also shares his experience working in the policy-advice and academic environments and finally some words of advice for PhD students and recent graduates. 
Guest: Bram Wouterse (Associate professor at the Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management) 
Hosts: Prithviraj Basu Mallik and María-José Mendoza
 Timestamps: 
(01:11) Intro - how do you identify yourself? 
(02:56) The value of prevention: health vs economic perspective 
(11:15) Economic evaluations and prevention-related interventions: suitable framework?
(17:36) Consequences of healthy ageing 
(25:09) LTC research - how did you start? Lessons from the LTC system in the NL? What is the future of LTC? 
(42:49) Life after the PhD: job tasks in policy advice vs academia 
(52:40) Tips for PhDs: expectations, priorities, career trajectory as an academic