title: Eric Finkelstein
text: # Eric Finkelstein
  
  Eric Andrew Finkelstein is an American health economist. He is a Professor in the Health Services & Systems Research Program at Duke-NUS Medical School, where he is also the executive director of the Lien Centre for Palliative Care. He is also a research professor at Duke University's Global Health Institute.
  
  ## Education
  
  Finkelstein received his B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1991 and his M.A., Ph.D., and M.H.A. from the University of Washington in 1996, 1998, and 1999, respectively.
  
  ## Academic career
  
  In 1999, Finkelstein joined RTI International as a senior health economist, and became the director of the Public Health Economics Program there in 2006. He served as an associate professor at Duke-NUS from 2009 until he was appointed a full professor there in 2013.
  
  ## Research
  
  Finkelstein is known for his studies examining the economic costs of obesity. One study led by Finkelstein estimated that 42% of Americans would have obesity by 2030.
  
  ## Books
  
  Finkelstein is the author of two books: "Incidence and Economic Burden of Injuries in the United States" (2006) and "The Fattening of America" (2008).
  
  