Welcome to my website 

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at the University of Memphis and an applied economist with research interests in labor economics, health economics, occupational licensing, and public policy, with a secondary interest in the economics of education. My work aims to understand how public policies and institutional reforms shape labor markets, healthcare markets, and health outcomes, and how individuals and firms make decisions when facing sets of constraints and choices.

My research has been published in Economics Letters and the Journal of Labor Research, and I have presented at competitively selected workshops and conferences. My job market paper examines the impact of Syringe Service Program legalization in U.S. states on overdose mortality and bloodborne diseases using a staggered difference-in-differences approach. I have also studied how licensure reforms, such as Physician Assistant scope of practice and the Physical Therapist Compact, affect healthcare access, cost of care, and provider labor market outcomes such as mobility.

I bring more than five years of teaching experience, both in the United States and in my home country. I hold a double Master's degree in Economics and expect to complete my Ph.D. in Economics in May 2027. I have  taught microeconomics, macroeconomics, and statistics at the undergraduate level, and I have provided tutoring for MBA students.

You can reach out to me at: trnepal@memphis.edu