Welcome!


My name is Zahra Akbari, and I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Economics department at University of South Florida. My work is in applied microeconomics, and I am explicitly working in health, labor, and behavioral economics. I am currently teaching microeconomics and working as a researcher in the Department of Mental Health, Law, and Policy at USF.

My doctoral dissertation is on the effects of income inequality and retirement on health outcomes and life satisfaction. I am also interested in mechanisms through which behavior change after retirement can impact health. In the Mental Health, Law, and Policy department, I am honored to work with Dr. Micah Johnson as an RA, examining the Stress Processes Relating Ethnicity and Sex to Substance Misuse and Services Outcomes. Additionally, I am writing a grant for future work and handling the data work.

I have taught microeconomics and macroeconomics for three years. I have also been fortunate to teach statistics and design and teach an economics course for engineering students focusing on environmental aspects and resource management.



You can reach me here:

zakbari@usf.edu