John Firth

John Firth is a Founder and Distinguished Trustee of Plaksha University. John is the Director of Global Health and Development at Rethink Priorities, a think-and-do tank which works on significant opportunities for impact across different areas globally, including animal welfare, health and development, climate catastrophic risks, artificial intelligence, and more. Before joining Rethink Priorities, John held academic positions at Oxford University, UK, the University of Notre Dame, USA, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Global Development. He worked with J-PAL South Asia for two years running randomized control trials (RCTs) in India. John holds a PhD in Economics from MIT, and a BA in Philosophy from Notre Dame. At the Harish and Bina Shah Foundation (HBSF), he plays a key advisory role on partnerships focused on economic development and reform.