About Me
I'm Austin Henderson, PhD, a tenured Lecturer in the Department of Economics at the University of Otago, where I teach Health Economics and Game Theory. I was previously a Research Assistant Professor at Washington State University's Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health (IREACH).
My research sits at the intersection of health economics and behavioral economics, with a focus on Indigenous and minoritized communities, aging, health interventions, and the economics of decision-making under stress. I use experimental and quasi-experimental methods, including randomized controlled trials, laboratory experiments, and electronic health records, to generate evidence that can inform real-world policy.
Much of my recent work has focused on American Indian and Alaska Native health, including studies on COVID-19 infection and its social determinants, barriers to testing, food security, hypertension management, and the economic consequences of illness. I have also studied aging and dementia among Tibetan Buddhist monastics, and the effects of alcohol policy on gun violence.
On the behavioral side, I am interested in how stress shapes economic decision-making, and in auditing and honesty in incentive design. My work has appeared in journals including Scientific Reports, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Archives of Public Health, Public Health Reports, and Alzheimer's and Dementia, among others.
I am a 2025 recipient of the Outstanding Early Career Researcher award from the University of Otago Business School.
