Senior Research Associate
El-Erian Institute of Behavioural Economics and Policy
PhD (University of Hohenheim)
My research addresses the theoretical and empirical analysis of consumer behaviour and (behavioural) public policy; health behaviour; health policy evaluation; and social data science, machine learning, and econometrics.
Professional experience
Micha Kaiser is an economist with a background in statistics and data science, and practical experience in managing and delivering research projects across academia, policy, and industry. He is currently a Senior Research Associate at the El-Erian Institute of Behavioural Economics and Policy, where his work applies data science and behavioural insights to challenges in economics, public policy, sustainability, and health. His recent research investigates the potential of large language models (LLMs) to anticipate the effects of policy interventions, with a particular focus on the domains of food systems, energy transitions and public health. His work is empirically grounded, interdisciplinary, and often combines primary data collection with advanced modelling techniques.
Previous appointments
From 2017 to 2019, Micha Kaiser was a post-doctoral researcher at the Center for Consumer, Markets, and Policy at Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Between 2020 and 2022, he held a (tenure track) assistant professorship in Consumer Research Methods at Copenhagen Business School, Denmark.
Publications
Selected publications
- Kaiser, M., Bauer, J.M., Otterbach, S., Reisch, L.A. and Sousa-Poza, A. (2023) “The association between commuting and cardiovascular disease: a biomarker-based analysis of cross-sectional cohort data from the UK Biobank.” Preventive Medicine, 172: 107521 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107521)
- Decrinis, L., Freibichler, W., Kaiser, M., Sunstein, C.R. and Reisch, L.A. (2023) “Sustainable behaviour at work: how message framing encourages employees to choose electric vehicles.” Business Strategy and the Environment, 32(8): 5650-5668 (DOI: 10.1002/bse.3441)
- Kaiser, M., Otterbach, S. and Sousa-Poza, A. (2022) “Using machine learning to uncover the relation between age and life satisfaction.” Scientific Reports, 12(1): 5263 (DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09018-x)
- Reisch, L.A., Sunstein, C.R. and Kaiser, M. (2021) “What do people want to know? Information avoidance and food policy implications.” Food Policy, 102: 102076 (DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2021.102076)
- Kaiser, M., Bernauer, M., Sunstein, C.R. and Reisch, L.A. (2020) “The power of green defaults: the impact of regional variation of opt-out tariffs on green energy demand in Germany.” Ecological Economics, 174: 106685 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106685)
- Kaiser, M. (2019) “Benford’s Law as an indicator of survey reliability: can we trust our data?” Journal of Economic Surveys, 33(5): 1602-1618 (DOI: 10.1111/joes.12338)
Journal articles
- Decrinis, L., Freibichler, W., Kaiser, M., Sunstein, C.R. and Reisch, L.A. (2023) “Sustainable behaviour at work: how message framing encourages employees to choose electric vehicles.” Business Strategy and the Environment, 32(8): 5650-5668 (DOI: 10.1002/bse.3441)
- Kaiser, M., Bauer, J.M., Otterbach, S., Reisch, L.A. and Sousa-Poza, A. (2023) “The association between commuting and cardiovascular disease: a biomarker-based analysis of cross-sectional cohort data from the UK Biobank.” Preventive Medicine, 172: 107521 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107521)
- Mburu, S., Kaiser, M. and Sousa-Poza, A. (2023) “Livestock asset dynamics amongst pastoralists in Northern Kenya.” Journal of African Economies, 32(5): 572-597 (DOI: 10.1093/jae/ejac022)
- Kaiser, M., Otterbach, S. and Sousa-Poza, A. (2022) “Using machine learning to uncover the relation between age and life satisfaction.” Scientific Reports, 12(1): 5263 (DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09018-x)
- Reisch, L.A., Sunstein, C.R. and Kaiser, M. (2021) “What do people want to know? Information avoidance and food policy implications.” Food Policy, 102: 102076 (DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2021.102076)
- Kaiser, M., Bernauer, M., Sunstein, C.R. and Reisch, L.A. (2020) “The power of green defaults: the impact of regional variation of opt-out tariffs on green energy demand in Germany.” Ecological Economics, 174: 106685 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106685)
- Kaiser, M. (2019) “Benford’s Law as an indicator of survey reliability: can we trust our data?” Journal of Economic Surveys, 33(5): 1602-1618 (DOI: 10.1111/joes.12338)
Awards and honours
- Young Researcher Paper Award, Ideas & more, 2020