Alan Mathios is an economist who studies the effect of Food and Drug Administration regulatory policies on consumer and firm behavior. His research has focused on the impact of the regulation of health claims in food advertising and consumer advertising of pharmaceutical products on health outcomes. His research has also focused on government tax policies and their impact on smoking onset and cessation.  His most recent research is on an examination of the effectiveness of health warning labels on cigarette packages and electronic cigarettes. His research has been funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Merck Foundation, and the Foundation for a Smoke Free World.  He co-edits the Journal of Consumer Policy.  

He has been the recipient of teaching and advising awards including the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Cornell University Kendal S. Carpenter Advising Award.

Professor Mathios served as Dean of the College of Human Ecology from 2007-2018 and served as a Commissioner for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education from 2013-2020.

Professor Mathios came to Cornell following employment at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), where he served as an economist in the Division of Economic Policy Analysis.

He received his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York, Buffalo, and his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.