Duncan Thomas

Duncan Thomas is the Norb F. Schaefer Distinguished Professor of International Studies in Trinity College of Arts and Sciences at Duke University. His research focuses on population health and development, particularly examining how resources are allocated within families in low-resource environments and the role of female empowerment in improving well-being. Thomas has conducted large-scale randomized interventions in Indonesia and studied the impact of financial shocks and natural disasters on health and well-being. He has co-directed major longitudinal surveys such as the Indonesia Family Life Survey and Mexican Family Life Survey. His work has been published in leading journals and supported by organizations including the National Institutes of Health and the World Bank.

Duncan Thomas is a Professor of Economics at Duke University, specializing in the analysis of household and family decision-making. His research explores intra-household resource allocation, health, nutrition, and economic development, with a focus on how parental resources and education influence child health and outcomes. Thomas investigates the long-term effects of early childhood programs like Head Start and examines the impact of health on wages and economic prosperity. His work also addresses the role of household composition, income distribution, and the effects of economic crises on families. His research combines empirical modeling with data from surveys such as the Indonesia Family Life Surveys and the Mexican Family Life Survey.