Publications (Forthcoming) :

• How Infant Health Shapes Maternal Earnings,  Review of Economics of the Household, Accepted, July 2026.

Working papers :​​

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• ​Prenatal Exposure to PM2.5 and Infant Health: Evidence from Quebec (joint with Guy Lacroix & Maripier Isabelle)​, R&R, Economics and Human Biology, Avril 2025.

This paper examines the effects of prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on birth outcomes in a low-pollution setting. Using linked administrative data on births and air quality in Quebec (2008-2015), we compare infants exposed to different pollution levels within the same neighbourhoods and time periods to account for socioeconomic and seasonal differences. We find no significant effects at the population level, but exposure increases the risk of low birth weight and preterm birth among female infants and children of less-educated mothers. These findings suggest that even in low-exposure environments, current air quality standards may not sufficiently protect vulnerable populations. Strengthening pollution advisories for pregnant women and refining regional air quality policies could help mitigate these risks.

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•  ​Intergenerational transmission of inequalities: Are health inequalities at birth the missing link? (joint with Guy Lacroix and Maripier Isabelle), Under Review, July 2025. 

​This paper shows that poor health at birth can act as a barrier to upward economic mobility, reinforcing inequality across generations. Using linked administrative data for two Canadian birth cohorts, we find that mothers born with low birth weight (LBW) are significantly more likely to have LBW children. Sibling comparisons reveal that LBW reduces the probability of surpassing parental income rank by 4 percent. We show that ongoing childhood health shocks partly—but not fully—explain this effect, suggesting both direct and indirect pathways. Our findings highlight how policies targeting prenatal and early-life health could help break persistent cycles of disadvantage.

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 Selected Work in progress:

​The impact of childhood social skills and self-control training on social mobility (joint with Yann Algan, Sylvana Côté, and Maripier Isabelle)

We investigate whether an early childhood intervention targeting disruptive boys in Montreal altered their long-term economic trajectories. The Montreal Longitudinal Experimental Study (MLES) began in the early 1980s and provided intensive support, combining small-group skills training at school with individualized family support at home. What makes this project unique is the data: using administrative tax records, we follow these boys and their parents for more than three decades, allowing us to trace intergenerational outcomes with unusual precision. We compare adult income outcomes of participants with those of a randomly assigned control group, focusing on whether the program improved boys’ expected earnings conditional on parental income. We find that untreated disruptive boys systematically underperform relative to expectations based on parental background, while treated boys close much of this gap. The intervention reduced the risk of downward mobility, increased the chances of rising out of low-income backgrounds, and preserved advantages for those from higher-income families. These findings underscore the significance of long-term data from a randomized intervention in revealing the impact of early investments on breaking cycles of disadvantage and promoting intergenerational economic mobility.

 

Impact of ADHD medication in early childhood on education and mental health trajectory (with Arthur Chatton, and Sylvana Côté)

 

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