Julian Reif
Associate Professor
Illinois Gies College of Business
Coeditor, American J. of Health Economics
www.julianreif.com
- Nice essay by Carlos Chavez on the history and development of causal inference carloschavezp29.substack.com/p/on-causality
- Reposted by Julian ReifLead (Pb) in archived hair in Salt Lake City. "Lead (Pb) in archived hair documents a decline in lead exposure to humans since the establishment of the US Environmental Protection Agency " www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
- "Among patients already admitted to the hospital when a ransomware attack begins, in-hospital mortality increases by 34–38 percent."
- Reposted by Julian ReifFrom the thread: > Surprisingly, ChatGPT was much better at explaining and helping with Claude Code than Claude itself. For example, Claude gave me incorrect info about how to set up its permissions files.
- Reposted by Julian ReifIf Julian is using Claude Code, that's a sign everyone must! This is a very neat step-by-step example of how to set up Claude Code and get it running on your machine. I use the native Claude Code in Claude App, but yeah, VS seems to be the default. I have it, but never got used to it.
- Thoughts from a newbie using Claude Code for the first time. I don’t always use GitHub for my projects, but with Claude Code it feels like a must. Having a tool read and write files without version control is just too scary.
- You’ll want an editor that plays nicely with Claude Code. I went with VS Code, which I hadn’t used before. There’s a learning curve, but it seems like the default choice for a reason.
- Setup was easy. I downloaded the app, opened my project directory in VS Code, typed “claude,” followed the auth steps (I have Claude Pro), and that was it. code.claude.com/docs/en/setup
-
View full threadIf I end up using Claude Code seriously for data analysis, I’ll update my coding guide accordingly: julianreif.com/guide/
- I've released a new version of strgroup, a Stata command that does fuzzy string matching. No new functionality, but the underlying C code has been optimized: it now uses much less memory and runs about 5 times faster github.com/reifjulian/s...
- You can install the latest version directly from GitHub: from("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/reifjulian/strgroup/master") replace
- "knowing how and when to use gen. AI productively is not a simple skill; it requires domain-specific judgment that depends on disciplinary standards, developmental stage, and the goals of a particular assignment. In some contexts, reliance on AI short-circuits learning; in others, it enhances it"
- Today's blog post: why Generative AI won't make colleges obsolete and may in fact RAISE the demand for higher education. deryugina.com/why-generati...
- This upward trend in measles cases is a very bad sign. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known and needs ~95% immunity to prevent spread. When communities fall below that level, as many do, outbreaks escalate fast. Infants too young to be vaccinated are especially at risk.
- Chart source: www.axios.com/2026/01/22/m...
- Reposted by Julian Reif#econsky et al. I am happy to announce the #call_for_papers for the 2026 Economics of Mental Health Workshop! The workshop is hosted by @peibich.bsky.social at Paris Dauphine and takes place from June 22-23. They keynotes are @jcmecon.bsky.social & Marco Bertoni. 1/n
- From Andrew Gelman, how can we improve the research process? 1. Stop citing single studies as definitive. They are not. Check if the ones you are reading or citing have been replicated. 2. If you or someone else finds an error in your published work, publish a correction.
- 3. If one of your colleagues is behaving unprofessionally, tell them to stop. 4. Support replication. Encourage others to do so. Support the Journal of Management Scientific Reports.
- 5. Find out about the research integrity policies at your institution. If they are weak, strengthen them. Link: statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2026/01/22/a...
- Reposted by Julian ReifThe @nber.org Summer Institute call for papers is now live: www.nber.org/calls-papers... [Note that typical meeting dates have been pushed back by a week due to Boston hosting FIFA World Cup events ending on July 9.]
- Reposted by Julian ReifIs anyone working on a study of the causal effects of prison work release programs? If so, please DM or email me. 🙏
- Reposted by Julian ReifQ: There’s a regression with three coefficients: b1, b2, b3 A theory says b1 > b2 > b3 What statistical test should I perform to test this joint prediction? The point estimates are such that b3 > b1 > b2, if that matters
- Reposted by Julian ReifHuman health benefits are by far the largest benefit from most environmental regulations. By not monetizing these benefits moving forward, the Trump EPA is essentially saying there are no human health benefits to reducing air/toxic/climate pollution, improving drinking water quality, etc. 1/
- Reposted by Julian Reif#Econsky My co-author and I have a new paper we are presenting at the AEA Meetings, papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers..... In this paper we examine Difference-in-Differences (DiD) from a time series perspective and provide three main results.
- Reposted by Julian ReifHeading to Philadelphia for the #ASSA2026. Presenting research you think our readers would be interested in? Working on something you think I should know about? Reach out here or by any of the ways linked in my bio: www.nytimes.com/by/ben-casse... #EconSky
- Reposted by Julian ReifI'm John Fallon, a labor economist on the job market. My JMP uncovers something wild: when chiropractors got licensed in the early 1900s, medical boards responded by making it HARDER to become a doctor. Why would competition lead to stricter regulations? 🧵 john-fallon-econ.com (1/9)
- What happens when you remove medical debt from credit reports? I'll be presenting on this topic at #ASSA2026 in Philly on Saturday at 10:15am (Loews Philadelphia Hotel, Commonwealth Hall D). DM me if you'd like to meet up.
- Reposted by Julian ReifLast chance to sign up for Econ PhD Chess tomorrow! We're sending arena invites today, please register by the form below ASAP if you want to be on our list or play on Sunday.
- Reposted by Julian ReifAt this holiday season, we should remember people in Ukraine and their fight for freedom. I am proud to support @razomforukraine.org and the Kyiv School of Economics, which is helping to build a brighter future in Ukraine. foundation.kse.ua/en/
- “learn from countries like Switzerland, where about two-thirds of young people go into vocational training after 11 years of compulsory schooling” economist.com/internationa...
- AI has begun citing its own hallucinations. Reveals a related problem: many authors never bother checking, let alone reading, the papers they cite.
- And so checked out Google Scholar. Now on my profile it doesn't appear, but somwhow on Nelli's it does and ... and ... omg, IT'S BEEN CITED 42 TIMES almost exlusively in papers about AI in education from this year alone... scholar.google.com.vn/citations?vi...
- Reposted by Julian ReifSo Instacart showed different people different prices for eggs. Shocking? Before the outrage, ignore the Twitter press release. Look at what they actually found. Understand the facts and the economic theory to make sense of it www.economicforces.xyz/p/instacarts...
- Reposted by Julian ReifThe anecdote about "true and non-trivial" ideas from social sciences leaves the impression that ideas other than comparative advantage are either trivial or untrue. Behold more basic ideas (from economics) that are true and non-trivial. #EconSky mytwocentsandcounting.substack.com/p/true-and-n...
- Reposted by Julian ReifOne last (sobering) update on the #EconJobMarket before the winter holidays; data as of 2025-12-14. In terms of # of job listings on Job Openings for Economists (JOE), this is the worst job mkt in recent yrs for PhD Economists. # jobs down 20% from last yr, even 18.9% lower than during COVID (2020).
- Last year, there were 11,000 abortions in Carbondale, IL, a city with 21,000 people www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/u...
- Reposted by Julian ReifThe brilliant Kate Ho has passed away. She was an amazing economist and a genuinely kind human being. Her work shaped how we think about healthcare markets and her generosity touched everyone lucky enough to know her. The profession and the world are poorer without her.
- Reposted by Julian ReifUpdate on JOE postings -- things are worse: paulgp.com/2025/12/10/q...
- "Unless you are living in 19th century Japan, you are probably used to reading text horizontally. Therefore, when possible, you should keep text horizontal – it’s the way people are used to reading" Amen. This goes double for graphs in presentations.
- Big new blogpost! My guide to data visualization, which includes a very long table of contents, tons of charts, and more. --> Why data visualization matters and how to make charts more effective, clear, transparent, and sometimes, beautiful. www.scientificdiscovery.dev/p/salonis-gu...
- I also liked this visual illusion example
- This also makes referee responses shorter :)
- Reposted by Julian ReifHealth insurance researchers, send us your stuff! If you have questions about this special issue, please feel free to reach out to me or Miranda.
- The Chinese Academy of Sciences combines "all of America’s national labs, MIT and Caltech, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy all into one organization" www.noahpinion.blog/p/china-has-...
- This retracted Nature paper was the second most referenced climate paper in 2024
- Reposted by Julian ReifASHEcon is seeking members to join the Scientific Review Committee in the peer review of abstracts submitted for consideration for the 2026 ASHEcon conference as the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, MN. Abstract reviews will take place in Dec 2025 and Jan 2026 . Deadline Dec 10th.
- "global warming induces mechanical trends in extreme temperature exposure that correlate strongly with a location’s baseline temperature. Substantial bias emerges if trends in the outcome variable also correlate with baseline temperature for any reason"
- Interesting paper highlight that binning can be misspecified in panel settings - this drives misinterpretation of extreme temperature shocks. #linkoftheday www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1ya6z...
- Reposted by Julian Reifbe WISE and submit your work at this conference! I was told it's fantastic. The organizing group is solid, the location fantastic, the potential for high quality discussion is over the top. The keynotes are hit or miss, but what can I say, you win some and you lose some ;)
- Reposted by Julian ReifUniversity students who were provided with a free gym card (in a randomized experiment) exercised more and had a significant improvement in academic performance. The treated students were also less likely to drop out of classes www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10....
- Latest job market news for rookie economists is not good
- Update on the state of the job market courtesy of a nudge by @gottliebecon.bsky.social It's bad! paulgp.com/2025/11/24/j...
- Reposted by Julian ReifThis is completely disgusting. Today, the CDC updated their vaccine safety page. It now says: “The claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism”.
- Always a good reminder, I still see this error quite often: "The difference between significant and not significant is not itself significant. If you want to carry out inference for a difference, you need to construct the standard error for that difference." www.econometrics.blog/post/overlap...
- Our team at American Journal of Health Economics is looking for a social media editor! The position is compensated ($1000 per year) -- if you're interested, please apply using this Google form: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
- Do you love health economics and learning about cool new research? Do you like telling other people about it? Come and be a social media editor at AJHE!! We're looking for someone to join our editorial team @ashecon.bsky.social
- Reposted by Julian Reif[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Julian ReifCalling all researchers working on the environment and health! 🌿🚑 #ASHEcon2026 will be in Minneapolis (June 7–10, 2026), and I’m helping organize the Environment & Health program. Looking forward to seeing your submissions (deadline is December 10)! 👉 www.ashecon.org/2026-minneap...
- Reposted by Julian ReifMy group at the University of Illinois is hiring a tenure-track applied economist. We're especially interested in environmental/public reduced-form rookies with research that complements our group. Tell your students to apply! #EconSky www.aeaweb.org/joe/listing....
