Experts in the News

Health economics fellow Vivian Ho joined a team of top experts to tackle pressing policy issues that arose during the pandemic. They worked to improve the nation’s social insurance infrastructure — including unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, social security and Medicare — particularly for those hardest hit by COVID-19.

Why do we "create environments that despite the turmoil, despite the uncertainty ... support the social-emotional development of children? Because we are going to see the impact in a decade," said fellow Quianta Moore.

Congratulations to Middle East fellow Kelsey Norman, who received the 2021 Emerging Scholars Policy Prize from the Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania and Foreign Affairs magazine! This annual competition encourages early-career scholars to translate their academic research on a major global policy issue into an essay, making their ideas more accessible to policymakers.

As the Delta variant surges, hospitals are suspending elective surgeries to have more space and staff for COVID-19 patients, resulting in lower profits and higher costs. "The financial implications are serious," said health economist Vivian Ho.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who is facing reelection next year, is "trapped" when it comes to adopting or allowing coronavirus restrictions, said political science fellow Mark Jones. "He realizes that if he were to adopt a more California- or New York state-style policy, there will be considerable blowback from the right wing of the Republican Party."