MSU Economics is pleased to welcome Professor Konan Hara, who is joining the department as an assistant professor of economics. Most recently, he was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and Energy Policy Institute after receiving his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Arizona. Previously, Professor Hara received his Ph.D. in public health, and his M.D. equivalent and B.A. in faculty of medicine from the University of Tokyo.
“I’m looking forward to interacting with faculty members and students in the department and contributing to the department's knowledge,” Professor Hara said. “I chose MSU because the department has a strong group of researchers in energy and environmental economics, health economics, industrial organization, and econometrics, which aligns with all of my research interests. And I also love the nature here!”
Professor Hara is interested in analyzing policy-relevant issues in heavily regulated industries — especially energy markets and healthcare markets — using applied microeconomic tools. These two markets both concern people's health and well-being andare therefore subject to strict regulations, and consequently, economic entities interact in complex ways.
“In this complicated economy, my research asks, ‘How to regulate or incentivize individuals and firms, such as power plants/investors, physicians, and patients, to balance the economy and environmental/health goals?’ to support difficult policy decisions around the globe,” he said.
He became interested in this area of research because he was interested in analyzing health policies using mathematical models during his medical training, which is what brought him into a career in economics.
“Environmental and health policies have a direct impact on the health and well-being of people,” he said. “However, even well-intended regulations can fail if they don't account for the real-world behavior of individuals and firms properly. By analyzing these interactions, we may be able to design more effective policies that reduce environmental harm, improve health outcomes, and allocate resources more efficiently.”
For the future of his research, Professor Hara hopes to be able to translate research findings into actionable policy recommendations and accumulate evidence that improves the quality of future policy debates. Professor Hara will also be teaching EC 450, Economics of Environmental Policy.
Beyond economics, Professor Hara is a licensed medical doctor in Japan and is continuing clinical and public health research with his collaborators and exploring how treatment effects vary across patient groups to improve clinical decision-making.
When asked about his interests, Professor Hara said he was involved with a decathlon in college but is now transitioning to training for a triathlon.
Please join us in welcoming Professor Hara to our department!
By Katie Frey