Maria Casanova, PhD

Maria Casanova, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Economics at California State University Fullerton and USC AD/ADRD RCMAR 2024 Visiting fellow. Dr. Casanova's main area of expertise is labor economics, with a focus on the economics of aging and retirement. She also studies how social disparities influence cognitive decline in old age. In this research Dr. Casanova examines the effectiveness of public interventions in mitigating cognitive deterioration within disadvantaged populations. Additionally, her work addresses the financial and emotional burdens experienced by families and caregivers of individuals living with dementia, spanning both high- and low- and middle-income countries. Another aspect of her research focuses on factors that impact retirement decisions. Dr. Casanova investigates how general uncertainty about retirement timing, financial literacy, and job characteristics contribute to retirement preparedness and financial well-being in old age. Dr. Casanova's research has been supported by the National Institute on Aging, the Social Security Administration and the California Center for Population Research.

Recent publications:

• Caliendo, F., M. Casanova, A. Gorry and S. Slavov (2023) "Retirement Timing Uncertainty: Empirical Evidence and Quantitative Evaluation" Review of Economic Dynamics, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.red.2023.01.002
• Meijer, E., M. Casanova, H. Kim, A. Llena-Nozal and J. Lee. 2022. "Economic Costs of Dementia in 11 Countries in Europe: Estimates from Nationally Representative Cohorts of a Panel Study" The Lancet Regional Health - Europe https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2022.100445
• Casanova, M. 2021. "Revisiting the Role of Gender and Marital Status as Risk Factors for Nursing Home Entry."  The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab004