Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics

Director D - Academic Affairs University Overview The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school co...

CHIBE is hiring a Managing Director! See details below and share with your network. wd1.myworkdaysite.com/recruiting/u...

See how a small behavioral nudge may lead to meaningful improvements in cancer care.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Paying for Healthy Choices A review by LDI Fellows reveals when financial incentives move the needle, and when they don’t.

$300 per month for staying smoke free. A $50 gift card for walking daily. What makes these effective incentives encouraging healthy behaviors?

A new review by LDI Fellows reveals what works in moving the needle---and what doesn’t. Read more on our blog: https://bit.ly/4l1xfkK

Why you should open up more to people, according to Dr. Leslie John - Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE) CHIBE affiliate and Harvard professor Dr. Leslie John has a new book out called “Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing.” The book discusses some of the benefits of being more vulnerable and o...

We spoke with Dr. Leslie John about her new book "Revealing," which talks about striking a balance between sharing too little and too much. See what she suggests for clinicians in terms of opening up to patients! chibe.upenn.edu/blog/why-you...

Four Conditions Make Cash Transfers Save Lives The success of other countries shows these programs can work in the United States.

Why does cash save lives in Tanzania but barely move the needle in Texas?

Aaron Richterman and @hthirumurthy.bsky.social offer a road map for what effective cash assistance can look like in this country, if we choose to build on it. www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/...

Dr. Lewandowsky talks vaccine messaging - Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE) What are some empathetic approaches to vaccine communication with people who are hesitant? This is the topic of CHIBE’s next virtual seminar series talk with Stephan Lewandowsky, PhD, MA, Chair in Cog...

🚨TODAY at noon ET: We'll be hearing from Dr. Stephan Lewandowsky about empathetic approaches to vaccine communication with people who are hesitant. Read more about his work and find the registration link here: chibe.upenn.edu/blog/dr-lewa...

Brainwaves: How does a brain stay healthy? You might think a healthy brain starts and ends in your head – but there are miles and miles of neuron fibers that connect your brain with nearly every corner of your body. Why a healthy brain needs a...

How does a brain stay healthy?
"There are a lot of linkages between our brains and what we eat that are influenced by your gut microbiome that affect cognition and mood," Dr. Kevin Volpp says.
www.wbur.org/onpoint/2026...

Dr. Lewandowsky talks vaccine messaging - Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE) What are some empathetic approaches to vaccine communication with people who are hesitant? This is the topic of CHIBE’s next virtual seminar series talk with Stephan Lewandowsky, PhD, MA, Chair in Cog...

What are some empathetic approaches to vaccine communication with people who are hesitant?

Read about a successful technique in this Q&A with Dr. Stephan Lewandowsky.

chibe.upenn.edu/blog/dr-lewa...

Can a Game-Based Intervention Reduce Cardiovascular Risk in Minority Cancer Survivors? A game-based intervention was found to increase physical activity among Black and Hispanic cancer survivors with cardiovascular risk factors and may have implications for cardiovascular health.

A behaviorally designed game-based intervention was found to increase physical activity and may have implications for cardiovascular health in Black and Hispanic breast and prostate cancer survivors with cardiovascular risk factors. ascopost.com/news/februar...

The Olympic gamble: behavioral economics behind the games - Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE) As we cheer on Team USA at Milano Cortina 2026, CHIBE Director Dr. Kevin Volpp spoke to us about the psychology and behavioral economics elements at play for Olympians. Lindsey Vonn competed with a ru...

Watching the Winter #Olympics? CHIBE Director Dr. Kevin Volpp spoke to us about the psychology and behavioral economics elements at play for Olympians. chibe.upenn.edu/blog/the-oly...

We tested the government’s official new AI nutrition tool: Grok Realfood.gov now features a chatbot tool that’s Elon Musk-affiliated — and rather skeptical of some MAHA initiatives.

How trustworthy is the new U.S. food pyramid? It’s a mixed bag, according to the government website devoted to that pyramid. CHIBE's Alyssa Moran weighs in on using AI for tailored nutrition advice.
www.statnews.com/2026/02/10/n...

Medicare’s Hidden Fix for High Drug Costs A new op-ed explains how Medicare’s payment plan can ease seniors’ crushing drug costs, but is lesser known to beneficiaries.

Consumers can use payment plans for big purchases—so why not prescriptions? Seniors can.

An @inquirer.com op-ed by Jalpa Doshi and John Lin highlights Medicare’s payment plan and how it could help seniors manage drug costs over a year. https://bit.ly/4ahrKJC

Should Ultraprocessed Foods Be Off The Menu? New USDA dietary guidelines tell us to “eat real food.” Should policymakers get highly processed foods out of our stores and school lunches?

"What many people don’t realize is that the dietary guidelines aren’t just advice for individual consumers about what to eat. They provide the legal foundation on which our federal nutrition programs are based," Alyssa Moran says. www.sciencefriday.com/segments/usd...

What Medicare can learn from Best Buy and Walmart | Expert Opinion Medicare's drug payment plan is a good deal for seniors, but few know about it.

What can Medicare learn from Best Buy and Walmart? Medicare’s Prescription Payment Plan can ease high drug costs, but many beneficiaries miss out because they aren’t aware of it in time.
www.inquirer.com/health/exper...

Dr. Emily Oster on science communication: Make your audience feel smart - Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE) CHIBE and the Behavior Change for Good Initiative recently co-hosted a keynote conversation with Emily Oster, PhD.

"Effective communication requires that the person you’re communicating to leaves not thinking that *you’re* smart; you want them to leave thinking that *they* are smart and that you are trustworthy." - Emily Oster
@bcfginitiative.bsky.social
chibe.upenn.edu/blog/dr-emil...

The New Food-Stamp Rules Will Make Your Head Spin States have started banning junk food from SNAP. It’s not going according to plan.

States have begun banning the purchase of certain unhealthy treats with food stamps. The results have been messy, but even with the messiness, the policies could still be a net positive for the health outcomes of food-stamp recipients, says Alyssa Moran. www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/...

Dr. Harsha Thirumurthy named CHIBE’s Inaugural Endowed Chair - Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE) Dr. Harsha Thirumurthy has been named CHIBE’s Inaugural Endowed Chair called the Founders Professorship of Population Health.

Congrats to Dr. Harsha Thirumurthy (@hthirumurthy.bsky.social) on being named CHIBE's inaugural endowed chair! chibe.upenn.edu/news/dr-hars...

Liz Fowler, PhD, JD│CHIBE X HP X LDI Policy Seminar - Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE) Dr. Liz Fowler will speak to the CHIBE/HP/LDI communities at noon on 2/3/26 at a policy seminar about Health Policy at a Crossroads.

Join us on February 3 at noon for a talk with Dr. Liz Fowler, former deputy administrator and director of the Innovation Center at CMS. Thanks to co-organizers: @pennldi.bsky.social @pennmehp.bsky.social chibe.upenn.edu/event/liz-fo...

YouTube video by UPennCHIBE Dr. Emily Oster joins CHIBE and BCFG for keynote discussion on communicating scientific evidence

Did you miss CHIBE and @bcfginitiative.bsky.social's keynote discussion with Emily Oster? Check out the recording here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJf1...

It was *such* a treat to co-host Emily Oster (w/ @alison-buttenheim.bsky.social) for a Zoom Q&A today on how to communicate about science with a broad audience. The highlight? Possibly the unexpected game of "Underrated/Overrated" Alison launched at the close. Here are Emily's hot takes...

YouTube video by UPennCHIBE Dr. Emily Oster joins CHIBE and BCFG for keynote discussion on communicating scientific evidence

Here's the link to the recording with Emily Oster if you missed it! @alison-buttenheim.bsky.social @katymilkman.bsky.social @bcfginitiative.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJf1...

What the new dietary guidelines get right—and wrong: insights from Dr. Alyssa Moran - Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE) Alyssa Moran, ScD, MPH, weighs in on the new dietary guidelines that prioritize protein and caution against highly processed foods and added sugar.

Here's what the new dietary guidelines get right and wrong, according to Alyssa Moran, Director of Policy and Research Strategy at Penn’s Center for Food & Nutrition Policy. chibe.upenn.edu/blog/what-th...

Emily Oster, PhD│BCFG/CHIBE Virtual Keynote Q&A - Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE) Dr. Emily Oster will speak to the BCFG/CHIBE communities virtually from noon to 1:00 PM on January 28th, 2026 via Zoom.

🚨Happening today at noon: CHIBE and @bcfginitiative.bsky.social are hosting Dr. Emily Oster for a virtual seminar on how to communicate scientific evidence clearly, responsibly, and effectively. Join us!
chibe.upenn.edu/event/emily-...

Why Fixing Systems Matters More Than Fixing People: Insights from Dr. George Loewenstein - Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE) CHIBE recently hosted a seminar with Dr. George Loewenstein, one of our faculty affiliates who co-authored a new book called “It’s on You: How Corporations and Behavioral Scientists Have Convinced Us ...

"I think it’s really unfortunate that when the public thinks about behavioral economics they think about nudges. We have a much wider role that we can play," George Loewenstein told CHIBE in a recent seminar. Read the full recap below! chibe.upenn.edu/blog/why-fix...

Emily Oster, PhD│BCFG/CHIBE Virtual Keynote Q&A - Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE) Dr. Emily Oster will speak to the BCFG/CHIBE communities virtually from noon to 1:00 PM on January 28th, 2026 via Zoom.

We're hosting Emily Oster for a virtual seminar on January 28 at noon ET. Join us! She'll be talking about how to communicate scientific evidence clearly, responsibly, and effectively. Thanks to @bcfginitiative.bsky.social for co-hosting. chibe.upenn.edu/event/emily-...

How One Study Saved Preventive Care When a federal court case threatened to virtually eliminate free preventive care in the U.S., two scholars used their research to effect change.

“I’m applying this dissemination approach to every piece of work I’m doing,” Dr. Jalpa Doshi said. “I’m choosing what I’m going to be working on based on its potential for impact.”

@pennldi.bsky.social

ldi.upenn.edu/our-work/res...

@pennmedicine.bsky.social researchers awarded $25M by PCORI to conduct largest-ever trial using smartphones to fight heart disease ft. Alexander Fanaroff (@penncvi.bsky.social) & Kevin Volpp (@pennchibe.bsky.social) tinyurl.com/4enj6vwh

Characterising concerns and misinformation shaping global HIV vaccine confidence and demand: a structured literature search and content analysis Background Demand for a future HIV vaccine, similar to other vaccines, is vulnerable to misinformation. A number of studies have examined HIV vaccine acceptability and demand, but few have systematica...

This review highlights concerns about an HIV vaccine, many of which are influenced by misinformation. The findings can inform targeted interventions to counter misinformation and communicate preventive benefits. @alison-buttenheim.bsky.social gh.bmj.com/content/11/1...

The impact of restaurant menu eco labels on consumer meal selections: a randomized controlled trial Food systems account for ∼30% of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) that contribute to climate change. Climate labels on restaurant menus may help consumers decrease their food-related climate impact...

Can climate labels on restaurant menus help consumers decrease their food-related climate impact and improve meal nutrition given that environmentally sustainable diets are also healthier? www.ajpmonline.org/article/S074...

How Playing Games May Save People’s Lives Gamification, an up-and-coming field, shows promise in nudging people to develop positive health behaviors.

How can playing games save people’s lives?

Gamification - an up-and-coming field - shows promise in nudging people to develop positive health behaviors.

Story by @pennldi.bsky.social

ldi.upenn.edu/our-work/res...