Muzhe Yang

Muzhe Yang

MacFarlane Professor of Economics

Department of Economics

College of Business

Lehigh University

Biography

Muzhe Yang is the MacFarlane Professor of Economics in the College of Business at Lehigh University. His research focuses on identifying factors that contribute to adverse outcomes among vulnerable populations, such as infants and pregnant women. His empirical studies examine various environmental factors affecting maternal and infant health, including power plant emissions, pollution (air, noise, light, and water), as well as factors like long commutes and working during pregnancy.

Furthermore, his research extends to investigating causal relationships that carry significant policy implications. Subjects of his empirical studies include, for example, peer effects in physicians’ prescription behaviors regarding new drugs, the impact of publicly reported provider quality information on the CABG market, effects of exposure to food advertising on purchasing behaviors, the roles of nationality and ethnicity in shaping international and inter-regional trade, effects of signaling behaviors on college admissions, effects of paid maternity leave on breastfeeding practices, and the mental health implications of the constitutional right to abortion.

Muzhe Yang’s research has been mentioned in media outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. For more detailed information, please refer to the Selected Media Mentions section in his CV.

Interests
  • Health Economics
  • Applied Econometrics
  • Public Policy
  • Treatment Effect Analysis
Education

  • Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2008

    University of California, Berkeley

  • M.A. in Economics, 2002

    Peking University

  • B.A. in Economics, 2000

    Peking University

Research

Dhaval M. Dave, Wei Fu and Muzhe Yang. “Mental Distress among Female Individuals of Reproductive Age and Reported Barriers to Legal Abortion Following the US Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Roe v Wade,” JAMA Network Open 6 (3): e234509, March 2023.

Dhaval M. Dave and Muzhe Yang. “Lead in Drinking Water and Birth Outcomes: A Tale of Two Water Treatment Plants,” Journal of Health Economics 84, 102644, July 2022.

Dhaval M. Dave and Muzhe Yang. “Maternal and Fetal Health Effects of Working during Pregnancy,” Review of Economics of the Household 20 (1): 57–102, March 2022.

Laura M. Argys, Susan L. Averett and Muzhe Yang. “Light Pollution, Sleep Deprivation, and Infant Health at Birth,” Southern Economic Journal 87 (3): 849–888, January 2021.

Laura M. Argys, Susan L. Averett and Muzhe Yang. “Residential Noise Exposure and Health: Evidence from Aviation Noise and Birth Outcomes,” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 103, 102343, September 2020.

Yang Wang and Muzhe Yang. “Long Commutes to Work during Pregnancy and Infant Health at Birth,” Economics & Human Biology 35: 1–17, December 2019.

Muzhe Yang and Shin-Yi Chou. “The Impact of Environmental Regulation on Fetal Health: Evidence from the Shutdown of a Coal-Fired Power Plant Located Upwind of New Jersey,” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 90: 269–293, July 2018.

James Dearden, Suhui Li, Chad Meyerhoefer and Muzhe Yang. “Demonstrated Interest: Signaling Behavior in College Admissions,” Contemporary Economic Policy 35 (4): 630–657, October 2017.

Muzhe Yang, Rhea Bhatta, Shin-Yi Chou and Cheng-I Hsieh. “The Impact of Prenatal Exposure to Power Plant Emissions on Birth Weight: Evidence from a Pennsylvania Power Plant Located Upwind of New Jersey,” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 36 (3): 557–583, Summer 2017.

Resul Cesur, Joseph Sabia, Inas Rashad Kelly and Muzhe Yang. “The Effect of Breastfeeding on Young Adult Wages: New Evidence from the Add Health,” Review of Economics of the Household 15 (1): 25–51, March 2017.

Chad Meyerhoefer and Muzhe Yang. “Poverty and Obesity in Developed Countries,” in The Oxford Handbook of Economics and Human Biology, edited by John Komlos and Inas Rashad Kelly. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. May 2016.

Rui Huang and Muzhe Yang. “Paid Maternity Leave and Breastfeeding Practice Before and After California’s Implementation of the Nation’s First Paid Family Leave Program,” Economics & Human Biology 16: 45–59, January 2015.

Jenny Aker, Michael Klein, Stephen O’Connell and Muzhe Yang. “Borders, Ethnicity and Trade,” Journal of Development Economics 107: 1–16, March 2014.

Muzhe Yang, Hsien-Ming Lien and Shin-Yi Chou. “Is There a Physician Peer Effect? Evidence from New Drug Prescriptions,” Economic Inquiry 52 (1): 116–137, January 2014.

Muzhe Yang and Rui Huang. “Asymmetric Association between Exposure to Obesity and Weight Gain among Adolescents,” Eastern Economic Journal 40 (1): 96–118, January 2014.

Rui Huang and Muzhe Yang. “Buy What Is Advertised on Television? Evidence from Bans on Child-Directed Food Advertising,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing 32 (2): 207–222, September 2013.

Yang Wang and Muzhe Yang. “Crisis-Induced Depression, Physical Activity and Dietary Intake among Young Adults: Evidence from the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks,” Economics & Human Biology 11 (2): 206–220, March 2013.

George Wehby and Muzhe Yang. “Depression, Antidepressant Use and Weight Gain,” International Journal of Applied Economics 9 (2): 1–38, September 2012.

Chad Meyerhoefer and Muzhe Yang. “The Relationship between Food Assistance and Health: A Review of the Literature and Empirical Strategies for Identifying Program Effects,” Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy 33 (3): 304–344, September 2011.

Justin Wang, Jason Hockenberry, Shin-Yi Chou and Muzhe Yang. “Do Bad Report Cards Have Consequences? Impacts of Publicly Reported Provider Quality Information on the CABG Market in Pennsylvania,” Journal of Health Economics 30 (2): 392–407, March 2011.

Teaching

Courses Taught at Lehigh University:

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