This was an independent study project I conducted during my semester abroad at Leiden University College in The Hague, Netherlands, with Dr. Makszin.
In this project, I studied the relationship between COVID-19 policy stringency and birth rates. I was interested in how large-scale social and policy disruptions during the pandemic may have shaped demographic patterns, and in what kinds of data and comparisons are needed to study those changes carefully.
The project gave me experience working through a policy-focused quantitative question from start to finish. It also helped me strengthen my skills in framing research questions, working with population-level data, and thinking critically about how broad public events can affect health and social outcomes.