Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Administration
Miguel is a public policy researcher who is broadly interested in health policy and its behavioral and equity implications in the US and the Philippines. Specifically, his current research investigates the population health implications of substance use policies, health-related taxes, and socioeconomic disparities. His recent work explored Filipino smokers’ varying responses to tobacco excise tax increases, documented the socioeconomic disparities in the uptake of publicly provided reproductive health services in the Philippines, evaluated the employment implications of sugar sweetened beverage taxes, and analyzed state agencies’ utilization of federal grants and other public funds in addressing the opioid epidemic in the US.
Prior to pursuing doctoral studies in UGA, Miguel worked in public, private, and multilateral organizations, including the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department at the Philippine House of Representatives, National Institutes of Health at the University of the Philippines Manila, and the World Health Organization. He also taught undergraduate-level heath economics and policy.
