Sarah Vincent

Welcome! I am a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, in the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health. I am part of the Program on Women's Empowerment Research, directed by Mahesh Karra.

I am an applied economist working at the intersection of development economics, demography, and public health. I study the determinants and consequences of social norms, particularly for household bargaining, women’s economic behavior, and reproductive health, with additional work in political economy and economic history. 

I am on the 2026–2027 academic job market. My Job Market Paper studies the long-run consequences of India’s 1976–77 coercive sterilization campaign on interpersonal violence and social norms.

My work integrates theoretical modeling, measurement and empirical analysis, using diverse data sources, including surveys, historical records, and randomized controlled trials, to inform policy.

My research focuses on (i) the long-run consequences of coercive reproductive state interventions for interpersonal violence, social norms, and well-being; (ii) gender norms, female empowerment, and women's economic participation, including entrepreneurship, mobility, and household decision-making; and (iii) reproductive health, including contraceptive decision-making and menstrual health.

References: Mahesh Karra, Benjamin Marx, Nathan Nunn and Roberta Ziparo.

News

• We just launched the Africa POWER Consortium website: visit us!

• The POWER Consortium moved to Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in September 2025!