Dr. Asad completed his Ph.D. in Economics on Fulbright Scholarship from Iowa State University in June 2020. He has since worked on multiple research areas in close collaboration with government and non-governmental counterparts. His broad area of research interest includes the economic development of low- and middle-income countries with a specific focus on fiscal sustainability, the efficient functioning of markets, and the economic inclusion of marginalized groups. He is particularly interested in using behavioral insights to inform policy. Most of Dr. Asad's research is motivated by the desire to contribute to policy and implementation. He has worked closely with Pakistan's tax authorities at national and sub-national levels. His work on agriculture values chains is conducted in partnership with the Agriculture Department of Punjab, Pakistan government, ensuring the research is grounded to inform policy. In addition, Dr. Asad has worked in various roles, including as a tax expert for a think tank, policy analyst/principal investigator for state governments, advisor for a behavioral insights unit in Pakistan, and consultant for an advocacy group. In these roles, he has been responsible for conducting economic research, writing reports, and providing policy recommendations.
Asad, S.A., Ahmad, H.F., & Majid, H. (2025). Price and Prejudice: Gender Discrimination in Online Marketplaces. Journal of Development Economics, 103540.
Asad, S. A., Banerjee, R., & Bhattacharya, J. (2023). Do workers discriminate against their out-group employers? Evidence from an online platform economy.?Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization,?216, 221-242.
Asad, S.A. (forthcoming). Taxation in Pakistan: Challenges, Reforms, and the Case for a Scientific Approach. In R. Pande (Ed.), Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Pakistan (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Technology Without Teeth: Evidence from Voluntary e-POS Adoption (with Isabelle Cohen)
A Theory of Discrimination with Motivated Agents (with Osama Khan)
Vulnerable Markets: Impact of Extreme Flooding on Agricultural Supply Networks (with Omar Gondal & Farah Said)
Impact of COVID-19 on Fresh Produce Supply Chains (with Omar Gondal)
Do Nudges Induce Safe Driving? Evidence from Dynamic Message Signs (with Kevin Duncan)
AEA Annual Meetings (ASSA) Philadelphia (2026) PEDL Early Career Researcher Workshop Yale University (2025) Econometric Society World Congress (2024) NBER Summer Institute (2024, 2021) Advances with Field Experiments (Chicago, LSE, Boston University)
World Bank, Washington DC ICTD-IDS Western Economic Association (Seattle) Paris Dauphine, PSL University
Private Enterprise Development in Low-Income Countries (PEDL), CEPR -- GBP 40,000 (2025)
International Growth Centre (IGC) -- Multiple grants totaling over GBP 400,000 (2021-2025
J-PAL Governance Initiative -- USD 75,000 (2023)
Russell Sage Foundation -- USD 7,500 (2019)
J-PAL Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative (ATAI) -- USD 30,000 (2023)