People

Eden is in her third year of the BA Economics program at McMaster. She started as a Research Assistant at McDSL due to her interest in how behavioural economics plays a role in financial and policy decision making. Being a Research Assistant at McDSL has transformed her learning experience here at McMaster by developing her understanding of how economics is integrated in fields such as business, psychology and finance through practical methods and experiential learning. Eden’s plans post-graduation is to attend law school and earn her J.D.

As I enter my fourth year in the Economics program, my desire in understanding how theoretical concepts and classroom learning manifests in real-world decision-making processes has sparked my interest for behavioral and experimental economics.

I am excited to explore the underlying factors that influence human behavior and contribute to advancing our understanding of economic dynamics.

I’m a third-year international student studying Honours Economics & Computer Science at McMaster and a Research Assistant with McDSL. I’m passionate about the intersection of economics and computing and how evidence and technology can guide policy and development. After graduation, I plan to gain real-world experience and pursue a master’s that bridges economics, public policy, and development.

I will never forget the excitement of my first time playing a dynamic decision-making game, how the game links to rich theoretical context, and how I can stand at the frontier of research by participating in it.

That excitement became my endeavor in experimental economics, taking me through ten years of the academic journey and bringing me halfway across the globe to McDSL.

I can’t wait to see what our Lab will achieve in the coming years.

I’m interested in the fields of behavioural economics and public economics. I’m currently developing two projects.

One studying how spite and anger can impact cooperation, and another studying the impact of corporate taxation on income inequality.

My name is Reyhaneh. I’m a PhD student in experimental economics under the supervision of Professor Ruffle. For my first chapter, I coauthored with Professors Ruffle, Cuff, and Marceau exploring decision making in rental housing. Now, I am experimenting with gender differences in the lab to see how opportunities are shared and how we can create more inclusive spaces for women and other underrepresented groups.

I am currently in my fourth year of Accounting with a minor in Justice, Law and Order. My particular interest in neuroscience and behavioural economics is how they contribute to helping us better understand human behaviour and cognitive errors. Through real-world data analysis collection, we are able to understand and develop a better comprehension of Neuroeconomics. I aim to deepen my understanding of how people’s real-world decision-making processes both align with and diverge from traditional economic theories and models. This intersection of behavioral insights informs my aspiration for a CPA designation, where understanding the human side of financial decision-making is just as critical as technical accuracy.