Assistant Professor

My research interests cover the broader themes of inequality, entrepreneurship, labour supply, and taxation. Within the field of macroeconomics, these topics can be studied using the theoretical and quantitative methods from the literature on macroeconomic modeling with heterogeneous agents. These models are built on a strong empirical foundation using household- or firm-level microdata and allow researchers to study the whole distribution of households in the economy.

Some of my past research projects have used these models to look at the consequences of higher top income taxes in a world where agents not only differ in income and wealth but also occupation or the role of taxation in the evolution of married couples’ labour supply over the last three decades. Current projects focus on the role of housing and entrepreneurship in shaping wealth inequality and rates of return, the impact of discriminatory housing policies on the racial wealth gap in the United States, or the nature of the secondary market for entrepreneurial firms in Canada.

Publications 

Managing Editor, Canadian Journal of Economics | McMaster University Scholar | CESifo Research Network Fellow | Professor

Publications

Dean of Social Sciences, Director McMaster Decision Science Laboratory (McDSL), Professor Economics

I am Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences; a professor and former Chair in the Department of Economics; a member of the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, and an associate member of the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (HEI), all at McMaster University.

My research on the economics of health and health care systems includes physician behaviour, funding models and resource association in health care, public and private roles in health care financing, financial incentives in health systems, equity in health systems, normative frameworks in health economics, and the application of experimental economic methods in health research.

I have publications in leading health economic, health policy, and health services research journals and have acted as a consultant to regional, provincial, national and international agencies. I am the author of the Canadian health economics textbook, Health Economics.

Publications

Assistant Professor

My research in public economics explores how tax policy affects a variety of economic outcomes, including savings, earnings and the decisions of where people choose to live. In one paper, I study how the introduction of Tax-Free Savings Accounts in Canada affected the savings and asset location choices of families with children.

A second paper studied how the ‘catch-up limit’ provision, introduced as part of the U.S. Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, affected the retirement savings decisions of individuals. In ongoing research, I am studying how taxes affect migration flows to Canada.

Publications 

Academic Director, Statistics Canada Research Data Centre, Professor

My main public policy research interest concerns “inclusive growth”, where I emphasize productivity through my role as Director of the Productivity Partnership/Partenariat productivité. This is a SSHRC funded initiative that focusses on the empirical analysis of productivity, particularly using firm and workplace data. One of my major research interests is taxation. I also edit the journal Canadian Public Policy/Analyse de politiques.

Publications