Evan D. Peet

@evandpeet on Twitter

Economist; Co-director, RAND Center for Causal Inference; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Off Site Office

Education

Ph.D. in economics, Duke University; M.A. in economics, Duke University; B.A. in economics, math, statistics, Brigham Young University

One Page Bio

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

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Overview

Evan Peet (he/him/his) is an economist at the RAND Corporation, co-director of the RAND Center for Causal Inference, and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. His research focuses on health, human capital, labor, and environmental policy. His current research focuses on maternal and child health, and the opioid crisis. Previous focuses of his research include: COVID-19, pollution, health service utilization, social service utilization, child development, educational reforms, long-term labor market outcomes, and more. His research is policy oriented, seeking to understand the optimal design, targeting, and implementation of policies to improve outcomes. Peet is an expert in causal inference, econometrics, machine learning, and predictive modeling. As an example, he is currently leading efforts to integrate causal inference and predictive methods within healthcare and social service provider systems to alert providers to patient risks of poor maternal and child health outcomes, and to provide individualized intervention recommendations to reduce risks. Prior to joining RAND, Peet received his Ph.D. in economics from Duke University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in global and environmental health at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

Prediction and Reduction of Infant Mortality in Allegheny County
Measures and Methodology for International Comparisons of Health Care System Performance,
Improving Naloxone Access and Its Effects on Drug Abuse and Overdoses
Improving Maternal Health Outcomes: Targeting Resources to Areas Based on Standardized Empirical Measures of Need
The Effects of Opioid Supply-Side Policies on Substitutionary Prescribing and Health

Selected Publications

Evan D. Peet, "Early-life Environment and Human Capital: Evidence from the Philippines," Environment and Development Economics, 26(1), 2020

Vermeer, Michael J. D., Evan D. Peet, Securing Communications in the Quantum Computing Age: Managing the Risks to Encryption, RAND Corporation (RR-3102), 2020

Evan Peet, Gunther Fink, and Wafaie Fawzi, "Returns to Education in Developing Countries: Evidence from the Living Standards and Measurement Study Surveys," Economics of Education Review

Evan Peet, Dana C. McCoy, Goodarz Danaei, Majid Ezzati, Wafaie Fawzi, Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin, Demetris Pillas, Gunther Fink, "Early Childhood Development and Schooling Attainment: Longitudinal Evidence from British, Finnish and Philippine Birth Cohorts," PLOS One

Gunther Fink, Evan Peet, Goodarz Danaei, Kathryn Andrews, Dana Charles McCoy, Christopher R Sudfeld, Mary C Smith Fawzi, Majid Ezzati, and Wafaie W Fawzi, "Schooling and Wage Income Losses Due to Early Childhood Growth Faltering in Developing Countries: National, Regional and Global Estimates," The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Dana Charles McCoy, Evan D. Peet, Majid Ezzati, Goodarz Danaei, Maureen M. Black, Christopher R. Sudfeld, Wafaie Fawzi, Günther Fink, "Early Childhood Developmental Status in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: National, Regional and Global Estimates," PLOS Medicine

Lilian Perez, Evan D. Peet, Brain Vegetabile, Regina Shih, "Risk Factors for Childhood Stunting in 137 Developing Countries: A Comparative Risk Assessment Analysis at Global, Regional, and Country Levels,," PLOS Medicine, 32(2), 2022

Peet, Evan D., Dana Schultz, and Susan L. Lovejoy, Using an Innovative Database and Machine Learning to Predict and Reduce Infant Mortality, RAND Corporation (RB-A858-1), 2021

Recent Media Appearances

Interviews: PainRelief.com

Commentary

Data Analysis

Equitable Data Analysis: Lessons from a COVID-19 Research Collaborative
The health inequities exposed by COVID-19 underscored the importance of collecting race-stratified data to inform local policymakers. For the public health researchers trying to provide that, the pandemic also revealed some major pitfalls, especially about relying on open-source data.
Jul 27, 2021
The RAND Blog
Global Climate Change

Adapting to a Hotter World
Because climate change is largely irreversible, mitigation alone won't solve the problem. While mitigation will prevent even greater, future climatic changes, adaptation — efforts to adjust to climate change's effects — will prepare the world for a new set of living conditions, whatever they may be.
Oct 2, 2015
U.S. News & World Report

Publications

Journal Article
Trends in the Concurrent Prescription of Opioids and Gabapentin in the US, 2006 to 2018
Researchers examined 2006 to 2018 US national deidentified pharmacy claims data and analyzed trends in concurrent gabapentin and opioid prescribing, overall and by prescriber, patient, and county characteristics.
Dec 8, 2022
Report
Machine Learning in Public Policy: The Perils and the Promise of Interpretability
By leveraging big data, machine learning (ML) can produce results that inform critical policy decisions. In this paper, the authors provide an overview of ML and the importance of its interpretability when used in public policy.
Nov 15, 2022
Journal Article
Trends in Out-of-Pocket Costs for Naloxone by Drug Brand and Payer in the US, 2010–2018
The findings suggest that the out-of-pocket cost of naloxone has been an increasingly substantial barrier to naloxone access for uninsured patients, a population that constitutes nearly one-fifth of adults with opioid use disorder.
Oct 27, 2022
Journal Article
Tackling Persistent and Large Disparities in Birth Outcomes in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
The IMPreSIv database allowed us to summarize the maternal health, behavioral, and contextual factors associated with birth outcomes and describe the participation rates in available medical and community setting interventions in Allegheny County.
Jan 5, 2022
Report
Practice Expense Data Collection and Methodology: Phase II Final Report
In this report, the authors address how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services might improve the methodology used in practice expense (PE) rate-setting, update data that inform PE rates, or both.
Nov 1, 2021
Tool
Vulnerability, Inequity, and COVID-19: A Portrait of the Pandemic in Allegheny County: Tracking Evolving Disparities in Testing, Cases, Hospitalizations, Deaths, and the Ability to Practice Physical Distancing
RAND researchers, the Black Equity Coalition, and Surgo Ventures created an interactive online tool to consider disparities and community vulnerability to COVID-19 in Allegheny County.
Jul 19, 2021
Report
Measures and Methodology for International Comparisons of Health Care System Performance: Final Report
RAND researchers worked with 15 experts in quality measurement, clinical care, and health economics to generate potential measure constructs that could improve the U.S. ability to learn from international comparisons of health system performance.
Feb 24, 2021
Research Brief
Using an Innovative Database and Machine Learning to Predict and Reduce Infant Mortality
Researchers created a unique database linking medical, social, and demographic information, then used machine learning techniques to evaluate risk of infant mortality and develop intervention recommendations to reduce each infant's risk of mortality
Feb 4, 2021
Report
Examining Interventions to Address Infant Mortality in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
The authors use predictive models and a causal inference framework to understand the effectiveness of infant-mortality interventions in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, where poor birth and infant outcomes and pronounced racial disparities persist.
Jan 6, 2021
Report
Practice Expense Methodology and Data Collection Research and Analysis: Interim Phase II Report
In this report, the authors address how the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services can improve the methodology or update data used for setting practice expense payment rates under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
Aug 4, 2020
Report
Securing Communications in the Quantum Computing Age: Managing the Risks to Encryption
What risks are posed by the development of quantum computers able to crack digital encryption, and how quickly will postquantum cryptography (PQC) that can withstand quantum attacks be standardized and adopted to protect communications security?
Apr 9, 2020
Research Brief
Intensive Partnerships for Effective Teaching Enhanced How Teachers Are Evaluated But Had Little Effect on Student Outcomes
The authors of Improving Teaching Effectiveness: Final Report obtained some new funding information after publication. This brief complements the resource results in the report, taking this new information into account.
Feb 11, 2019
Report
Improving Teaching Effectiveness: Final Report: The Intensive Partnerships for Effective Teaching Through 2015–2016
This is the final report of a six-year evaluation of the Intensive Partnerships for Effective Teaching initiative, documenting the policies and practices each site enacted and their effects on student outcomes.
Jun 21, 2018
Report
A Review of Alternative Methods to Inventory Contracted Services in the Department of Defense
Concerned about U.S. Department of Defense contracts for private-sector services, Congress mandated development of an inventory of contract activities. RAND conducted a review of the system, stakeholder needs, and alternative data sources.
Apr 27, 2017
Journal Article
Risk Factors for Childhood Stunting in 137 Developing Countries: A Comparative Risk Assessment Analysis at Global, Regional, and Country Levels
Efforts to reduce stunting in developing countries need to include ways to improve a family's living environment and nutrition.
Nov 15, 2016
Journal Article
Schooling and Wage Income Losses Due to Early-Childhood Growth Faltering in Developing Countries: National, Regional, and Global Estimates
Efforts to address stunted growth among children <5 y old worldwide could yield long term benefits of $3 for every $1 invested.
Jul 14, 2016
Journal Article
Returns to Education in Developing Countries: Evidence from the Living Standards and Measurement Study Surveys
This study uses 61 nationally representative household surveys from 25 developing countries between 1985 and 2012 to assess whether returns to education are systematically higher in developing countries.
Dec 1, 2015
Journal Article
Early Childhood Development and Schooling Attainment: Longitudinal Evidence from British, Finnish and Philippine Birth Cohorts
This study examines early childhood physical and cognitive development in predicting educational attainment cross-culturally.
Nov 10, 2015
Report
Continued Progress: Promising Evidence on Personalized Learning: Survey Results Addendum
This companion report to Continued Progress: Promising Evidence on Personalized Learning documents results from surveys administered to teachers and students in personalized learning schools in the spring of the 2014-15 school year.
Nov 10, 2015