Economics Alumnus Integrates Machine Learning Into Health Research

ATLANTA — At the intersection of cutting-edge research and societal impact, Georgia State graduate Hasan Shahid (M.A. ’18, Ph.D. ’23) is working to understand risky behaviors through an innovative blend of archival data and machine-learning techniques that promises to shed new light on complex public health challenges.

Shahid, now a postdoctoral researcher in the Economics Department at Vanderbilt University, is affiliated with the LGBTQ+ Policy Lab and the Center for Research on Inequality and Health. His research focuses on the economics of risky behaviors, particularly those related to HIV/AIDS transmission.

Shahid’s work has its roots in the undergraduate degree in economics he earned in Pakistan, where he developed an interest in econometrics due to its versatility in social sciences research. Eager to further his education, he set his sights on Georgia State University, which stood out for its highly ranked graduate economics program and vibrant urban setting. This made it an ideal choice for Shahid, who began his graduate studies in 2016.

Shahid’s passion for advanced research was spurred during his master’s studies when he started taking doctoral-level courses. He credits economist Rachana Bhatt, a former assistant professor, for playing a key role in deepening his interest in economics, ultimately inspiring him to begin his Ph.D. program in 2018.

During his doctoral studies, it was the classes with Professor Garth Heutel he fondly remembers and the higher-level research opportunities. Shahid worked closely with Professor Tom Mroz, now retired, and assistant professors Lauren Hoehn-Velasco and Keith Teltser, all of whom served on his dissertation committee and are members of the Usery Workplace Research Group.

“I wish I had reached out to professors earlier when I was uncertain about my next steps, because help is always available when asked for,” he said. “Mentorship doesn’t end when you finish your degree. You still need guidance, and I’m glad for the community of mentors I built.”

Throughout his time at Georgia State, Shahid wore many hats. He tutored undergraduate economics students as a supplemental instructor under Clinical Assistant Professor Lorenzo Almada and served as a research assistant for Hoehn-Velasco, collaborating on a paper, “When Policies Overlap: The Fragility of Effects Amidst Multiple Treatments,” alongside her co-authors. He also gained teaching experience at a local community college and at Georgia Military College’s Fayetteville, Ga., campus.

Upon graduation, he accepted the postdoctoral position at Vanderbilt.

Shahid’s experience at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies has profoundly shaped his identity as a researcher. He continues to speak highly of the institution as his current work is evidence of the innovative applications of economics he learned in the college.

To learn more about all of the top-ranked in-person and online economics degree programs available at the Andrew Young School, visit its website and follow the school on LinkedIn.

— By AYSPS Graduate Student Assistant Ayomidotun Olugbenle (M.A. in Communication)