About Me

I am a doctoral candidate and 5th year Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University.  My dissertation committee consists of Michael Pesko (chair), Daniel Rees, Keith Teltser, and Lauren Hoehn-Velasco. I am a research affiliate with Social Impact Lab.

I study applied microeconomics, including health and public economics. My research focuses primarily on estimating health and mortality spillovers from risky behaviors. My work often sits at the intersection of transportation and health. I frequently use vital statistics data, like death certificates from the National Vital Statistics System and traffic collisions from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. The goal of my research is that my findings help inform smarter and more equitable public health policy and reduce loss of life.

I applied for and received a $200,000 NIH grant to support my graduate studies and research on FDA regulation. I learned all aspects of applying for an NIH grant through this process. I view NIH funding as a cornerstone resource, and would like to continue pursuing this funding going forward.

Contact Information

Email: csaenz1@student.gsu.edu

Twitter (X): @Chris_Saenz_