Laura Morrison Email and Phone Number

I lead our Innovation Economics and Policy practice within RTI's Center for Applied Economics and Strategy. Our work evaluates and builds strategies to strengthen new and emerging programs, policies, and products to promote economic growth and improve livelihoods in the health, energy, and environment sectors.

I work at the intersection of evaluation and strategy to help clients build strategy and improve on strategic goals using data. I design and conduct economic and policy evaluations focused on global health, development and innovation, working closely with public and private partners and their stakeholders. My clients include BMGF, Johnson & Johnson, USAID, SBA, CDC, and others. I rely on a range of methodologies and approaches, including survey, qualitative, statistical/econometric and cost benefit analysis. My research focus areas include: global health policy and technologies, biomedical innovation, environmental health (e.g. water and sanitation (WaSH), household air pollution), antimicrobial resistance (AMR), energy, gender, and innovation and commercialization outcomes among minorities and women.Projects include:• Economic evaluations of global development innovations and policies in health and the environment• M&E for strategy-level monitoring and systems change• Economic impact evaluation of novel vaccines • Policy evaluation of global health security strategic agenda • Financial cost modeling of health and energy technologies and programs• Evaluations to inform user-centered design and adoption of health and development technologies• Research on inclusive economic development focused on women and minority entrepreneurs.

• Assist in teaching microeconomics course using policy tool applications to undergraduate students at Duke University

• Support ongoing environmental health technology research, focusing on improved cookstoves and household environmental health• Manage datasets, survey instruments, and conduct econometric analyses to evaluate RCT of improved stove technology adoption and demand (USAID, Uttarakhand, India) and study of demand for water/cooking technology (Seva Mandir-Duke-IIM, Rajasthan, India)• Assist with USAID grant reporting for cookstove adoption study

• Managed launch of study assessing household demand for water treatment and clean cookstove technology in rural Udaipur district• Facilitated local NGO and academic partner relationships as primary in-field contact• Conducted focus groups and household interviews related to cooking and water practices• Assisted in design of survey questionnaire focusing evaluation of cookstove use• Trained local enumerator team to conduct household surveys within scientific protocol• Planned and monitored study budget, facilitated field administrative operations

• Facilitated work of faculty to close global research-policy gaps, chaired by Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz (Economics) and Saskia Sassen (Sociology)• Interdisciplinary research projects address current globalization and development challenges, including water scarcity, urbanization and migration in China, environmental protection and Sovereign Wealth Funds, and grassroots socio-economic movements, including Occupy Wall Street.

• Led learning sessions and coordinated briefings for interns at United Nations HQ• Supervised group of 20 youth interns, including advisory role of international affairs research projects

• Composed reports and literature reviews for maternal health and adolescent sexual reproductive health interventions in urban Delhi• Co-authored baseline study reports for interventions in urban Delhi and rural Rajasthan (Sikar)

• Coordinated program operations, staff, and volunteers for 7 nationwide chapters• Built online portal and managed registration processes for portfolio of 400+ individuals• Managed organization’s budget and financial reporting• Composed and edited written program and marketing materials

• Drafted and edited press releases, newsletters, social media for donor audience; adapted technical medical studies to lay terminology• Researched relevant news and media coverage for weekly e-mail newsletter• Focused outreach project: conducted outreach to build nationwide support group database