I'm Lauri Luosta, a PhD candidate in Consumer Behavior and Family Economics at University of Wisconsin-Madison. My dissertation defense is in May 2025 and upon graduation will start as a post-doctoral scholar at the Polish Institute of Sciences.

Trained in applied microeconomics and public policy, I'm passionate about social science research, particularly as they relate to behavioral health, child well-being, and consumer finance. My work centers on quantitative analyses of policy issues. My research interests are in health, poverty, child well-being, risky behavior, vice goods,  gambling, and alternative financial service use (payday lending).

I am a citizen of Finland, now a permanent resident in the United States. I graduated with my Masters degree from the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison in 2021, and before that, I completed my BA in Political Science and Global Studies at Winona State University in Minnesota.