Seven Researchers Receive Postdoctoral Fellowships, 2024-25

Seven postdoctoral scholars have been awarded NBER fellowships for the 2024–25 academic year, following widely disseminated calls for applications.

Woojin Kim, who received his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and Chika O. Okafor, who received his PhD from Harvard University, will hold fellowships in aging and health economics supported by the National Institute on Aging. Kim is studying the interaction between physicians political allegiance and practice patterns, while Okafor will investigate how the criminal legal system impacts health outcomes and disparities.

Sean Kiely, who received his PhD from the University of California, Davis, will hold a fellowship in agricultural economics supported by the US Department of Agriculture. His research focuses on the impact of information and food labeling policies on household demand for food products.

Michael A. Navarrete, who received his PhD from the University of Maryland, will hold the NBER postdoctoral fellowship to support diversity in the economics profession. Navarrete is analyzing heterogeneity in the inflation rates facing different population subgroups and its effect on real income inequality.

Rainer Kotschy, who received his PhD from Harvard University, will hold a fellowship on the economics of an aging workforce, sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. His research examines health status and aging in a life cycle framework, considering both household-level and macroeconomic issues. 

Brandon M. Enriquez, who received his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will hold a fellowship on racial and ethnic disparities in economic outcomes, also sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Enriquez is studying the effects of labor market institutions and trade shocks on racial inequality in the US. 

Bahareh Eftekhari, who received their PhD from Howard University, will hold a fellowship on retirement and disability policy sponsored by the US Social Security Administration. They are studying the impact of the Children’s Health Insurance Program on the financial well-being of Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries.