Roland Sturm is a senior economist at RAND and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, where he teaches advanced econometrics and statistics. He is the author of 170 scientific publications. Sturm has analyzed “big data” for more than 25 years, including operating records of nuclear power plants, medical records, insurance claims, credit card purchases, and supermarket scanner data. Current projects develop microsimulation tools to predict policy impacts on long-term population outcomes. Previous projects studied how urban design and neighborhood characteristics affect lifestyles and health; the effects of zoning and labeling regulations; the effects of health behaviors on health care costs; and how managed care and policy changes affect behavioral health. He has testified before the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, and numerous state legislatures. Sturm received a Ph.D. in economics and an M.A. in statistics from Stanford University and an M.S. in economics from the University of Florida.
Selected Publications
Herman R, Chen A, Sturm R, "Improving Diet Quality in US Adults: A 30-year Health and Economic Impact Microsimulation," American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2022
Sturm R, An R, "Obesity and economic environments," CA Cancer J Clin, 64(5), 2014
Sturm R, Hattori A, "Diet and obesity in Los Angeles County 2007-2012: Evaluating the Fast Food Ban," Soc Sci Med, 2015
Sturm R, An R, Segal D, Patel P, "A cash-back rebate program for healthy food purchases in South Africa: results from scanner data," American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 44(6), 2013
Sturm R, Powell LM, Chriqui JF, Chaloupka FJ, "Soda Taxes, Soft Drink Consumption, and Children's Body Mass Index," Health Affairs, 29(5), 2010
Wells KB, Sturm R, Sherbourne CD, Meredith LS, Caring For Depression, Harvard University Press