Dr. Rourke O Brien

Biography

Rourke O’Brien is an Associate Professor in Sociology and Public Health at Yale University, specializing in the causes and consequences of inequality in affluent democracies. His research focuses on public finance, economic mobility, and population health. He is a coauthor of the book 'Taxing the Poor' published by UC Press, and his work has been featured in prestigious academic journals, including the American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review, and Demography, as well as in economic and medical journals such as the Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Marketing Research, JAMA Internal Medicine, and PLOS Medicine. Rourke has also contributed policy writings to major publications like The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post. He earned his A.B. in Social Studies from Harvard University and his Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Policy from Princeton University, where he also completed a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society postdoctoral fellowship.

Research Interests

Experience