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.  Starting in 2025, I have been a visiting student in the Department of Economics at Vanderbilt University. My dissertation committee consists of Michael Pesko (chair), Daniel Rees, Keith Teltser, and Lauren Hoehn-Velasco.

I study applied microeconomics, including health and public economics. My research focuses primarily on topics related to substance abuse and health-related risky behaviors. Much of my research uses U.S. death certificate data from the National Vital Statistics System. My job market paper studies how alcohol abuse and mortality are impacted in the long-run by policies experienced during adolescence. My other research explores the public-health impact of FDA regulation of nicotine delivery systems, how ridesharing affects external-cause mortality, and how emotional cues affect risky decisions involving alcohol, using evidence from the Super Bowl.

My research is supported through the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This grant subaward provides $200,000 in support of my research with Michael Pesko on the effects of e-cigarette policies.

Contact Information

Email: csaenz1@student.gsu.edu

Twitter (X): @Chris_Saenz_