Research

My main research interests revolve around agricultural and environmental economics, and data science. Please look at my Google Scholar profile here or my CV for information about my publications. Please continue reading for details about the projects I am currently working on. Below are links to working and published papers clustered by research topics.


Dairy economics, sustainability, and labour issues in US dairy farms.

My research focuses on addressing the modern challenges faced by the U.S. dairy industry and identifying strategies to enhance resilience. The sector is experiencing considerable changes, including tighter profit margins, unpredictable milk retail prices, escalating feed costs, labor shortages, and growing consumer demand for sustainable practices. At Dr. Louis' Lab at UC Davis, we're exploring innovative solutions like labor automation, reforms in milk pricing regulations, and the potential of dual-purpose cattle systems. This work is key for safeguarding dairy farms' long-term viability and profitability, especially for small and medium-sized operations. 

Solar Panel Reactors for Rural Energy Decarbonisation and non-fossil chemical outputs

Working paper: Assessing a Solar Panel Hydrogen Reactor for Rural Energy Decarbonisation

The challenge of decarbonising energy sources in rural areas persists due to the need for more traditional power infrastructure, especially in developing countries. Implementing solar panel reactors is a potential solution, leveraging technological advancements to use solar energy effectively. FlowPhotoChem (FPC), an EU-funded initiative, aims to pioneer innovative materials and solar panel reactors to generate non-fossil chemical outputs. Employing a comprehensive Environmental and Social Cost Benefit Analysis (SCBA), this study evaluates solar panel hydrogen reactors' financial viability and environmental impact. 

You can find more about the project here.


Labour input and productivity of Irish Agriculture

Working paper: Shadow value of family farming and its role on hired labour demand in Ireland

Family farming in the European Union faces many challenges as it strives to maintain efficiency and profitability in an agricultural landscape increasingly focused on environmental sustainability. These challenges are compounded by labour shortages, which present a significant hurdle. In the EU dairy sector, these issues are particularly pronounced due to family farms' prevalence and reliance on family labour. This paper explores the role of the economic value of family labour with a specific focus on the unique challenges faced by family farms in Ireland. You can find an outreach version of this article published here.

Submission to Journal (August 2024).

Recently published papers on this topic:

My previous work focused on the role of hired labour on Irish farms technical efficiency is published in the Australian Journal of Agricultural Economics and can be found here, a short report here, along an outreach video here. My work on the role of automation and labour in the technical efficiency of Irish dairy farms is published in the QOpen Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Economics, which can be found here.


Applied econometrics and data science

Working paper: A Probability-Based Assessment of Varied COVID-19 Restriction Effects on Fatalities and Hospital Admissions: The Case of Ireland

This paper employs a probabilistic approach to examine the heterogeneous effects of COVID-19 restrictions on pandemic outcomes, focusing on deaths and hospitalisations. We use a comprehensive dataset encompassing policy grades, their temporal implementation, and daily restriction levels alongside crucial hospitalisation metrics; our analysis delves into the multifaceted landscape of pandemic management. The study incorporates a novel conversion factor to account for regional variations, acknowledging the impact on diverse populations based on demographics.

Expected submission (July 2024).

Recently published paper on this topic:

My previous work applying statistics to other areas of knowledge besides economics (i.e., education and psychology) is published in Nature and can be found here.