Torben S. D. Johansen

I’m an Assistant Professor in econometrics and data science at the Department of Economics at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU). I’m also a Visiting Scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and an Associate Researcher at the University of Cambridge. I did my PhD in economics at SDU, during which I spent the academic fall 2022 at Stanford University. I’m part of the Econometrics and Data Science research platform and affiliated with the Historical Economics and Development Group (HEDG).

My research

My research focuses on causal inference and data science, and in particular on using machine learning to study the importance of early-life conditions and to evaluate policies. I use machine learning to create data from historical documents, and I develop methods for causal inference, including treatment effect heterogeneity in difference-in-differences designs and the optimal allocation of treatments under constraints. I use these new data sources and methods to study the impact of health policies.