Working Papers

* with a student or postdoc coauthor

Revising for Resubmission

“The Silk Road of Ashes: Exposure to NAFTA and Adult Mortality” (with Hamid Noghanibehambari). 2nd R&R at CJE, March 2026.

Under Review

“Prenatal Exposure to Racial Violence and Later Life Mortality: Evidence from Lynching” (with Hoa Vu, Tiffany Green, and Hamid Noghanibehambari). March 2026.

“Longevity and In Utero Exposure to the Influenza Pandemics in the 19th Century” (with Won-tak Joo, Michal Engelman, and Alberto Palloni). March 2026.

“Passing as White: Racial Identity and Old-Age Longevity” (with Hamid Noghanibehambari). January 2026.

“Long-Term Impacts of Childhood Disease Exposure on Longevity: Evidence from the 1916 Polio Epidemic” (with Hamid Noghanibehambari). November 2025.

“The Long Shadow of the Past: Early-Life Disease Environment and Later-Life Mortality” (with Hamid Noghanibehambari). IZA Discussion Paper, October 2025.

“Later Life Impacts of Delaying Childbirth on Maternal Health and Economic Wellbeing: Evidence from the UK Biobank” (with Shubhashrita Basu and Lauren L. Schmitz). December 2023.

“Estimating the Causal Effect of Television Viewing on Individual Social Capital: A Panel Analysis” (with Michael Lebenbaum). June 2023.

“Generating polygenic risk scores in large biobanks through cross-validation” (with Jie Song, Fengyi Zheng, Yuchang Wu, and Qiongshi Lu). September 2022.

“Area-Level Infant Mortality Exposure in Early-Life and Later Life Stroke: The Role of Modifiable Risk Factors and Place of Birth” (with Michael Topping). July 2022.

“Gamete Simulation Improves Polygenic Transmission Disequilibrium Analysis” (with Jiawen Chen, Jing You, Zijie Zhao, Zheng Ni, Kunling Huang, Yuchang Wu, and Qiongshi Lu). October 2020.

“Causal Effects of Fertility on Life Course Outcomes Among Older Adults: Evidence from A Novel Genetic Instrumental Variable Approach” (with Boyan Zheng and Qiongshi Lu). September 2020.

Current Working Papers

“Early Life Disease and Later Life Mortality: Evidence From the Polio Vaccination” (with Hamid Noghanibehambari and Hoa Vu). November 2024. SSRN Working Paper.

“Blueprints of Maladies: Early Life Exposure to Malaria Eradication and Later-life Mortality” (with Hamid Noghanibehambari). October 2024.

“A Blessing in Disguise: The Long-Term Effects of Childhood Exposure to the boll weevil on Old-Age Longevity” (with Hamid Noghanibehambari). September 2024.

“Mortality in the Long Shot: Lasting Legacies of Screening the ‘Birth of a Nation’” (with Hamid Noghanibehambari). February 2024.

*“Genome-wide summary measures of genetic risk reveal treatment effect heterogeneity in a randomized control trial of smoking cessation” (with Lauren Schmitz, Qiongshi Lu, and Shubhashrita Basu). February 2023.

*“Effects of Environments in Critical Periods on Later Life Cognition: Mediating Role of Education” (with Shiro Furuya). July 2022.

*“Childhood Family Structure History on Adulthood Depression: The Role of Age and Genetic Sensitivity” (with Boyan Zheng and Qiongshi Lu). 2022.

“Understanding Sibling Correlations in Education: Molecular Genetics and Family Background” (with Bhash Mazumder, Qiongshi Lu, and Jie Song). 2021. IZA

“Estimating Causal Effects of Fertility on Life Course Outcomes: Evidence Using A Dyadic Genetic Instrumental Variable Approach” (with Boyan Zheng and Qiongshi Lu). September 2020. NBER

Completed Working Papers

“Heterogeneity in Peer Effects of Obesity” (with Kiersten Strombotne, Kevin Konty, and Sophia Day). August 2020. IZA Discussion Paper

“Associations between body mass index and telomere length at older ages: Evidence from polygenic risk scores, Mendelian randomization and within-twin designs” (with Vikesh Amin, Yiqiang Zhan, Ida Karlsson, Nancy L. Pedersen, Anna Dahl Aslan, Sara Hägg, Dan TA Eisenberg, David Rehkopf, and Qiongshi Lu). June 2021.

“Mental Health, Schooling Attainment and Polygenic Scores: Are There Significant Gene-Environment Associations?” (with Vikesh Amin, Jere Behrman, Carlos A. Flores, Alfonso Flores-Lagunes, and Hans-Peter Kohler). February 2020. SocArXiv

“Associations of physical activity and air pollution with incident dementia: a population-based prospective cohort study” (with Wei Xu, Kristen Malecki, and Ozioma Okonkwo). July 2022.

“Inter-state migration and mortality inequalities between U.S. states” (with Wei Xu and Michal Engelman). July 2022.

“Adults Behaving Badly: The Effects of Own and Peer Parents’ Incarceration on Adolescent Criminal Activities.” May 2017. IZA Discussion Paper

*“Spousal Matching” (with Norma Padron). December 2016. IZA Discussion Paper

“Moving Contexts: The Impact of Changes in Neighborhood Characteristics on Mental and Physical Health” (with Julia Goodwin and Katherine Curtis). March 2020.

*“Estimating Causal Effects between Number of Children and Older Parents’ Cognitive Function Using HRS Data and IV Approach” (with Boyan Zheng and Yan Zhang). February 2023. SocArXiv

“Leveraging Machine Learning to Estimate Effect Modification” (with Ang Yu, Hyunseung Kang, and Chan Park). August 2021. OSF

“Impacts of Access to Contraception and Abortion Services on Men’s Life Course Outcomes: Results of Add Health Analyses.” June 2021. SocArXiv

“Differential Susceptibility to Peer Influences.” March 2017. SocArXiv

*“Pregnancies and Risky Outcomes” (with Sebastian Daza). February 2016.

*“The Effects of Academic Probation on College Success” (with Mansur Tokmouline). January 2016. IZA Discussion Paper

“Estimating Physician ‘Value Added’ on Patient Outcomes” (with Betsy Bradley and Leora Horwitz). January 2016. Modern Healthcare NBER

*“Sibling Spillover Effects for Developmental Disabilities and Externalizing Behavior” (with Nicole Hair and Barbara Wolfe). August 2015. NBER

“Benefits from University Level Diversity?” (with Barbara Wolfe). April 2014. Discussion Paper NBER Daily Californian The Economist

“Self Control and Health Outcomes” (with Nick Torseillo). August 2014.

“Hierarchical Influences on the Diffusion of Health and Delinquency Behaviors in Adolescent Social Networks” (with Olga Yakusheva). June 2013.

“Tobacco Use, Taxation, and Self Control in Adolescence” (with Jody Sindelar and Partha Deb). April 2013. NBER The Economist

“The ‘Bluest Eye’ and Pathways to Success: Eurocentric Standards of Beauty” (with Arthur Goldsmith, Darrick Hamilton, and William Darity). February 2012.

“The Effects of Early Occupation on Health” (with Jody Sindelar). August 2011. NBER

“Uncovering the Pathways Linking Local Economic Conditions, Occupation, and Health” (with Shintaro Yamaguchi). November 2010.

“Achievement Effects of the Inclusion of Students with Special Needs: Evidence from North Carolina.” February 2010.

“High School Course Content and College Choices.” February 2010.

“The Impact of First Occupation on Health at Older Ages” (with Jody Sindelar, Patricia Keenan, William Gallo, and Tracy Falba). February 2009. SSRN