Two new professors bring economic expertise in health, labor, and government policy

Two new professors have joined the Berkeley Haas academic faculty, bringing expertise in health economics, labor economics, and government economic policy.

Dr. David Chan, a health economist and MD who has conducted research and taught at Stanford University for the past 11 years, will join the Economic Analysis and Policy group as a professor. Chan will serve as the new faculty director for the Robinson Life Science, Business, and Entrepreneurship Program.

Economist Martin Beraja will join the Economic Analysis and Policy group as an acting associate professor. He comes to Haas from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he has been a researcher and professor since 2016.

Chan and Beraja will begin their new roles on January 1.

Professor David “Dave” Chan

Pronouns: he/him

Academic Group: Economic Analysis & Policy and Faculty Director, Robinson Life Sciences, Business, and Entrepreneurship Program (LSBE )

Hometown: Loma Linda, CA

Education:

• BS, Mathematics and Economics, UC Riverside
• MSc, International Health Policy, London School of Economics
• MSc, Economics for Development, Oxford University
• MD, UCLA
• PhD, Economics, MIT

Research focus: Health economics, labor economics, organizational economics

Introduction: I took a longer path to discover economics via medicine. While I majored in math and economics—and loved both of them—as an undergraduate, I was not exposed to the fascinating and policy-relevant research side of economics until later, as a medical student, I had the opportunity to go on leave to study health policy and economics in England as a Marshall Scholar. When I began my PhD in economics after my medical residency, I knew I had found my calling. For the last eleven years, while I was a professor at Stanford, I saw patients at a hospitalist at the Department of Veterans Affairs while teaching and writing papers under the lens of economics. I value combining insights from my work in health care with more general theory and methods of economics, and I look forward to continuing and expanding upon this work in the vibrant environment of Berkeley.

Teaching: Strategy, LSBE Capstone Course

What made you decide to join Berkeley Haas:  I’m excited about the Berkeley intellectual community and the collegial environment. I’m eager to direct the Robinson Life Sciences, Business, and Entrepreneurship Program and impact the career paths of talented and motivated Berkeley students, much like I have been inspired by my seemingly disparate but complementary educational encounters. I have always wanted to engage more directly with the business of life sciences and health care, and the position at Berkeley Haas provides a unique platform to do so.

Fun (non-academic) fact about yourself: I hiked 500 miles in the first year of the pandemic. Disconnecting (even briefly) in the outdoors is such a privilege I have enjoyed in the Bay Area.

(Acting) Associate Professor Martin Beraja

Academic Group: Economic Analysis and Policy

Hometown: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Education:

• PhD in Economics, University of Chicago
• M.A., Economics, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Argentina
• B.A., Economics, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Argentina

Research focus: Economics

Introduction: I am an economist who studies the role of government policy in stabilizing business cycles and responding to the challenges posed by AI and digital technologies. I have tackled these questions by sometimes developing theory, sometimes using novel data and empirics, but most often by bringing the two together. I earned my PhD from the University of Chicago in 2016 and joined MIT in 2017 after spending one year as a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University. I received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2023, the foundation’s most prestigious award for early career faculty.

Teaching: Evening MBA 201B, Macroeconomics

What made you decide to join Berkeley Haas: Being at a top school, surrounded by incredible colleagues in both Haas and the Economics departments, is a privilege. Coupled with the Bay Area’s stunning nature and sunny climate, it’s truly an unbeatable combination. In recent years, my research has increasingly focused on technology and government policy. The Bay Area is at the forefront of advancements in AI and digital technologies, and I am excited to be part of the work that is being done here. I’m also really looking forward to learning from my students, many of whom bring real-world experience in the tech industry and are poised to become future leaders in this space.

Fun (non-academic) fact about yourself: I love music and have been to a lot of concerts, but I’ve cried only once: listening to Neil Young play “Old Man” while a harvest moon ascended over the Coachella Valley. Sometimes the universe conspires to create magic. Also, I tend to yell and curse (a lot) while watching soccer—just a heads-up if we ever catch a game together.