Lisa Robinson
Senior Research Scientist
Center for Health Decision Science
Lisa A. Robinson’s research and teaching focus on the conduct of benefit-cost analysis, particularly for policies with outcomes that cannot be fully valued using market measures. 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 guidelines for benefit-cost analysis of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulations and of global 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 related ethical issues. 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. She has served as a member of several expert advisory groups, including those convened by U.S. Federal government agencies, OECD, the World Health Organization, and other organizations.
Ms. Robinson is the Deputy Director of the Center for Health Decision Science and affiliated with the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. 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 was a Principal at Industrial Economics, Incorporated, the Director of Policy, Planning, and Budget for the federal Institute of Museum Services, and an analyst at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
From the Society for Risk Analysis, Ms. Robinson received the Outstanding Practitioner Award and the Richard J. Burk Outstanding Service Award, and was named a Fellow to recognize her significant achievements. She and her co-authors received a Best Paper award from Risk Analysis for their work on COVID mandates. From the Society for Benefit-Cost Analysis, she received the Richard O. Zerbe Distinguished Service Award and was also named a Fellow, its highest award for substantial contributions to theory and practice. The Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis presented her with its Best Symposium award for organizing and editing an issue on benefit-cost analysis in low- and middle-income countries. 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 serves on the Editorial Boards of Risk Analysis and the Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis. Ms. Robinson received her Master in Public Policy degree from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Related Links
Center for Health Decision Science
Center for Risk Analysis
Guidelines for Benefit-Cost Analysis
Academic Profile
Catalyst Profile
Education
M.P.P., Harvard Kennedy School
