Nathaniel (Nathan) Hendren

J-PAL Affiliated Professor

Professor of Economics

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Nathaniel Hendren is a professor of economics at Harvard University and a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His research lies at the intersection of theoretical and empirical work in public economics, focusing on a range of topics including insurance markets, welfare measurement, and intergenerational mobility. His work provides methods for welfare analysis of government policy interventions, helps explain why individuals with pre-existing conditions are often not offered insurance (even at higher prices), and explores patterns and drivers of intergenerational mobility in the United States. He is currently a principal investigator of the Equality of Opportunity Project, exploring the geography of intergenerational mobility and the role of neighborhoods in promoting upward mobility. He earned a BS in mathematics and economics from the University of Chicago, and a PhD in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Nathaniel serves as Scientific Advisor for J-PAL's Cost-Effectiveness Analysis portfolio.