FSI’s researchers assess health and medicine through the lenses of economics, nutrition and politics. They’re studying and influencing public health policies of local and national governments and the roles that corporations and nongovernmental organizations play in providing health care around the world. Scholars look at how governance affects citizens’ health, how children’s health care access affects the aging process and how to improve children’s health in Guatemala and rural China. They want to know what it will take for people to cook more safely and breathe more easily in developing countries.
FSI professors investigate how lifestyles affect health. What good does gardening do for older Americans? What are the benefits of eating organic food or growing genetically modified rice in China? They study cost-effectiveness by examining programs like those aimed at preventing the spread of tuberculosis in Russian prisons. Policies that impact obesity and undernutrition are examined; as are the public health implications of limiting salt in processed foods and the role of smoking among men who work in Chinese factories. FSI health research looks at sweeping domestic policies like the Affordable Care Act and the role of foreign aid in affecting the price of HIV drugs in Africa.
Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health
Infectious diseases, though largely preventable, are a major cause of death and disability around the world. This curriculum was developed for students to: learn about the biological basis of infectious disease; understand how diseases can spread and affect whole populations; explore the public health response to such threats; and get involved in their own communities. Case studies and multimedia activities are designed to debunk myths, stimulate creative thinking, and inspire the next generation of public health advocates.
The Narcissism of Minor Differences: How America and Europe are Alike
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It is commonly believed that America and Europe are very different societies, and growing apart. A look at the data shows that the anecdotes are misleading and that the differences across the Atlantic have been overstated.
Peter Baldwin, Professor of History at UCLA, is author of several books on the comparative history of European and American state building, most recently, Disease and Democracy: The Industrialized World Faces AIDS.
Introduction by FSI Senior Fellow Josef Joffe.
Encina Ground Floor Conference Room
Peter Baldwin
Professor of History, UCLA
Speaker
Seminars
An Equilibrium Model of the African HIV/AIDS Epidemic
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An equilibrium search model of the Malawian HIV/AIDS epidemic is presented. Individuals engage in di¤erent types of sexual activity, which vary in their riskiness. When choosing a sexual activity, such as short-term sex without a condom, a person rationally considers its risk. A simulated version of the model is parameterized to match some salient facts about the Malawian epidemic. Some topical policies (e.g., male circumcision, treatment of other STDs, and promoting marriage) are studied and found to have potential to back re: Moderate interventions may actually increase the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, due to shifts in human behavior and equilibrium e¤ects.
Assistant Professor Michele Tertilt is one of three Stanford scholars awarded a two-year Sloan Research Fellowship. The Sloan Research Fellowships support the work of exceptional young researchers early in their academic careers. Michele's research focuses on family economics, consumer credit, growth and development, and demography. The Economics department congratulates Michele on the prestigious fellowship.
Encina Ground Floor Conference Room
Michele Tertilt
Assistant Professor
Speaker
the Department of Economics, Stanford University
Seminars