Plamen Nikolov

Graduate Student, Health Economics Program, Harvard School of Public Health

Plamen Nikolov is a PhD candidate in Health Economics. His research focuses on development economics, health economics and behavior economics. His current theoretical work concerns the creation of reference points in behavior economics. His current empirical work focuses on the significance of cognitive capital, and the effect of micronutrient deficiency in utero on subsequent educational attainment in Africa. He also focuses on the economics of infectious diseases, and its interaction with labor supply. As part of an ongoing large randomized housing mobility experiment (Moving-to-Opportunity) involving Section 8 vouchers in the U.S. Plamen currently works in the Lawrence Katz team at the National Bureau of Economic Research, on quantifying the effect of neighborhoods on economic, criminal and health outcomes.

Plamen graduated with an MA in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) and a BA in Mathematics/Business Economics from Ohio Wesleyan University. He came to Harvard after consulting for The Lewin Group, an economic consulting group specializing in the area of health, labor and public finance. His hobbies include running, biking and tennis.