Lisa Robinson
Senior Research Scientist
Center for Health Decision Science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Other Positions
Deputy Director, Center for Health Decision Science
Center for Health Decision Science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Related Links
Biography
Lisa A. Robinson's research and teaching focus on the conduct of benefit-cost analysis and other forms of economic evaluation. She has led numerous assessments of the costs, benefits, and other impacts of environmental, health, and safety policies and regulations; developed related methods; and drafted guidance documents. She co-edited the National Academies book, "Valuing Health for Regulatory Cost-Effectiveness Analysis," led the creation of benefit-cost analysis guidelines for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and for global public health interventions, and developed approaches for estimating the value of mortality risk reductions (the value per statistical life, VSL) for several government agencies and other organizations. She has explored numerous other methodological issues, including the implications of behavioral economics and happiness (subjective wellbeing) research for benefit-cost analysis, approaches for addressing the distribution of impacts across advantaged and disadvantaged groups, and ethical concerns. She applies these methods in high-, middle-, and low-income settings. Her work addresses a variety of policy issues, including responses to vaccine mandates and to hazard warnings as well as the health impacts of climate change.
Robinson has served as a member of several expert advisory groups, including those convened by U.S. and international organizations. Recent examples include:
• World Bank and WHO Global Technical Consultation to Estimate the Economic Burden of Foodborne Diseases
• WHO Technical Advisory Group on Economics for Environment, Climate Change and Health (Temporary Advisor)
• Advisory Board of the European Valuation of Environmental Stressors (VALESOR) Project, the OECD Advisory Group for Meta-Analysis of Stated Preference and Revealed Preference VSL studies
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board's BenMAP and Benefits Methods Panel
Ms. Robinson serves as Deputy Director of the Center for Health Decision Science and as core faculty of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE), and is also affiliated with the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis and the Department of Environmental Health, at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She was previously a Senior Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government as well as an Affiliate Fellow of its Regulatory Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School. She is a past President of the Society for Benefit-Cost Analysis and served as a Councilor of the Society for Risk Analysis as well as Chair of its Economics and Benefits Analysis Specialty Group. She is on the Editorial Boards of Risk Analysis and the Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis. She has organized and edited several peer-reviewed special issues and series, including:
• Ethics and Benefit-Cost Analysis, Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, 2024.
• Risk Assessment, Economic Evaluation, and Decisions, Risk Analysis, 2021.
• Conducting Benefit-Cost Analysis in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, 2019.
Examples of recent work on benefit-cost analysis guidelines is available here:
• Reference Case Guidelines for Benefit-Cost Analysis in Global Health and Development
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Guidelines for Regulatory Impact Analysis
• Additional publications on SSRN
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Lisa A. Robinson's research and teaching focus on the conduct of benefit-cost analysis and other forms of economic evaluation. She has led numerous assessments of the costs, benefits, and other impacts of environmental, health, and safety policies and regulations; developed related methods; and drafted guidance documents. She co-edited the National Academies book, "Valuing Health for Regulatory Cost-Effectiveness Analysis," led the creation of benefit-cost analysis guidelines for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and for global public health interventions, and developed approaches for estimating the value of mortality risk reductions (the value per statistical life, VSL) for several government agencies and other organizations. She has explored numerous other methodological issues, including the implications of behavioral economics and happiness (subjective wellbeing) research for benefit-cost analysis, approaches for addressing the distribution of impacts across advantaged and disadvantaged groups, and ethical concerns. She applies these methods in high-, middle-, and low-income settings. Her work addresses a variety of policy issues, including responses to vaccine mandates and to hazard warnings as well as the health impacts of climate change. Robinson has served as a member of several expert advisory groups, including those convened by U.S. and international organizations. Recent examples include: the World Bank and WHO Global Technical Consultation to Estimate the Economic Burden of Foodborne Diseases; the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Economics for Environment, Climate Change and Health (Temporary Advisor); the Advisory Board of the European Valuation of Environmental Stressors (VALESOR) Project, the OECD Advisory Group for Meta-Analysis of Stated Preference and Revealed Preference VSL studies; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board's BenMAP and Benefits Methods Panel. Ms. Robinson serves as Deputy Director of the Center for Health Decision Science and as core faculty of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE), and is also affiliated with the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis and the Department of Environmental Health, at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She was previously a Senior Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government as well as an Affiliate Fellow of its Regulatory Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School. She is a past President of the Society for Benefit-Cost Analysis and served as a Councilor of the Society for Risk Analysis as well as Chair of its Economics and Benefits Analysis Specialty Group. She is on the Editorial Boards of Risk Analysis and the Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis. She has organized and edited several peer-reviewed special issues and series, including: Ethics and Benefit-Cost Analysis, Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, 2024. Risk Assessment, Economic Evaluation, and Decisions, Risk Analysis, 2021. Conducting Benefit-Cost Analysis in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, 2019. Examples of recent work on benefit-cost analysis guidelines is available here: Reference Case Guidelines for Benefit-Cost Analysis in Global Health and Development U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Guidelines for Regulatory Impact Analysis Additional publications on SSRN
Education and Training
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BA, Political Science/International Relations
Carleton College -
MPP, Public Policy
Harvard Kennedy School
Awards and Honors
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Best Paper Award, Risk Analysis, 2023
Risk Analysis, An International Journal -
Fellow, Society for Benefit-Cost Analysis, 2022
Society for Benefit-Cost Analysis -
Outstanding Practitioner Award, Society for Risk Analysis, 2021
Society for Risk Analysis -
Best Symposium Award, Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, 2019
Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis -
Fellow, Society for Risk Analysis, 2016
Society for Risk Analysis -
Richard O. Zerbe Distinguished Service Award, Society for Benefit-Cost Analysis, 2015
Society for Benefit-Cost Analysis -
Richard J. Burk Outstanding Service Award, Society for Risk Analysis, 2013
Society for Risk Analysis
