Johannes Haushofer's research interests lie at the intersection of neurobiology, behavioral economics, and development economics. His research asks whether poverty has particular psychological and neurobiological consequences, and whether these consequences, in turn, affect economic behavior. To answer these questions, he combines laboratory experiments with randomized controlled trials of development programs such as health insurance and unconditional cash transfers in Kenya.

He has a BA in Psychology, Physiology and Philosophy from Oxford, a PhD in Neurobiology from Harvard, and is completing a PhD in Economics in Zurich.