Dr. Harsha Thirumurthy

Biography

Harsha Thirumurthy is a Professor in the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also serves as Division Chief of Health Policy and Associate Director of the Center for Health Incentives & Behavioral Economics (CHIBE). He is co-director of the Penn Research Development Initiative (PDRI) and Behavioral Economics Global Health Insights Lab. His research interests lie at the intersection of economics and public health, with a major focus on using insights from economics and psychology to design and evaluate interventions aimed at achieving health outcomes in low-income settings. Thirumurthy has led numerous randomized trials of behavioral interventions, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, and his work has evaluated the population-level effects of large-scale health initiatives and economic policies, such as cash transfer programs. He has published peer-reviewed articles in leading journals across economics, public health, and medicine. In 2020, he co-founded the Indlela nudge unit to strengthen local research capacity in behavioral economics for health in South Africa. Thirumurthy earned his PhD in economics from Yale University.

Research Interests