The Health, Opportunity, and Wellbeing Lab

The Health, Opportunity, and Wellbeing Lab studies the investments and exposures that shape health and wellbeing across the lifecourse. We are particularly interested in public programs that serve low-income families with children. We have studied Medicaid, Title-X, state-based health care initiatives, school-based health centers, and federal rental assistance programs. We are also interested in investigating and improving the quality of federal surveys that measure public program participation. A new line of research investigates the impact of wildfires on infant health and the health system and safety-net resources that mitigate the harms of wildfire exposures.

The lab’s work is supported by the NIH, AHRQ, HRSA, the William T. Grant Foundation, the Spenser Foundation, and other private foundations. Our papers have been published in Health Affairs, Health Services Research, The American Journal of Health Economics, The Journal of Human Resources, The Journal of Health Economics, Demography, JAMA Pediactrics, and other outlets.

Recent News

• Sunjung Yoon presents her dissertation work at APPAM
• Maranna Yoder (alumnus) presents wildfire work at APPAM
• Theresa Kim (alumnus) interviewed on the PBS Newshour
• Rachel Smith publishes new work on mental health in the unhoused population
• Work on Medicaid vision benefits featured in Vox
• Michel Boudreaux named to HSR editorial board
• Work on the fertility effects of Delaware Contraceptive Access Now published at AJHE
• Work on NICU costs published at Health Affairs Scholar
• Wildfire work published in Medical Care