Dazhuo Wei
Richmond Hill,Canada
Summary
Economist and Data Scientist with a Ph.D. in Economics, specializing in causal inference, demand estimation, and applied machine learning. Experienced in combining economic theory with advanced ML techniques (e.g., XGBoost, SHAP, LLMs) to derive actionable insights from large datasets in health, retail, and behavioral contexts. Adept in both academic and applied settings, with a strong record of impact through policy-relevant research and cross-functional collaboration.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
PhD Candidate
Western University
London, ON
09.2018 - Current
- Developed and estimated a Random Attention Span (RAS) model to explain and predict economic decision-making under limited attention, leveraging stopping time data and revealed preference theory.
- Designed and implemented causal inference models to evaluate the behavioral impact of policy changes using experimental and real-world data.
- Developed an Insight Engine that integrates economic theory with machine learning models (XGBoost, Random Forest, Logistic Regression) to predict product choices based on individual and product-level features; achieved an AUC-ROC of 87%, outperforming baseline models by 16%.
- Applied SHAP to interpret model predictions and support business decisions; findings guided product recommendation strategies, boosting purchase rates by 20% and yielding $60K in added revenue.
- Implemented scalable estimation procedures in Python and Julia and validated model predictions using experimental datasets with strong empirical performance.
Research Assistant
Western University
London, ON
06.2023 - 08.2023
- Developed Diabetes Insight Engine utilizing binary classification models for diabetes prevalence analysis.
- Combined demographic and health data to enhance model accuracy.
- Trained and optimized classification models including Random Forest, XGBoost, and Logistic Regression.
- Identified CatBoost as top-performing model with AUC-ROC score of 81%, surpassing logistic regression by 13%.
- Utilized SHAP to explain feature impacts on model predictions.
- Provided actionable insights to local health department, contributing to 5% reduction in diabetes prevalence. Achieved $13 million savings in diabetes-related expenditures through effective health guidance.
- Documented and presented comprehensive findings to Bangladesh Health Department.
Research Assistant
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK
01.2017 - 04.2018
- To improve academic performance in the public education system, an insight engine was built to analyze the influence of education expenditure allocation on K-12 schools' academic performance.
- Used a two-stage data envelope analysis (DEA) technique to estimate the degree to which education expenditures are efficiently allocated relative to academic performance.
- Provided expenditure recommendations to the federal education department. Reduced the education expenditure by $2 million while maintaining the same level of academic performance.
Education
Ph.D Candidate - Economics
Western University
07-2025
Master of Science (M.Sc) - Economics
University of Saskatchewan
06.2018
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) - Biochemistry
University of Saskatchewan
06.2016
Skills
- Causal Inference: Difference-in-Differences (DiD), Regression Discontinuity (RD), Instrumental Variables (IV), Propensity Score Matching (PSM), Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Design
- Econometrics & Modeling: Structural modeling, Demand estimation (AIDS, Logit/MNL), Merger simulation, Market power analysis, Panel data econometrics
- Machine Learning: XGBoost, Random Forest, CatBoost, Logistic Regression, SHAP (model interpretability), Hyperparameter tuning, Model evaluation (AUC-ROC, accuracy, etc)
- Programming Languages: Python, R, Julia, Stata, MATLAB
- Data Tools & Workflow: SQL, Git, Jupyter, RMarkdown, Excel
- Statistical Analysis: Hypothesis testing, Confidence intervals, Bootstrap, Time series analysis, Forecasting
- Visualization & Communication: SHAP plots, Matplotlib, Seaborn, ggplot2, Tableau (basic), Technical writing and presentation to technical/non-technical audiences
- Platforms & Libraries: scikit-learn, pandas, NumPy, statsmodels, PyMC, tidyverse, datatable
Accomplishments
- University of Saskatchewan Entrance Scholarship
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship
Languages
English
Full Professional
Mandarin
Full Professional
Timeline
Research Assistant
Western University
06.2023 - 08.2023
PhD Candidate
Western University
09.2018 - Current
Research Assistant
University of Saskatchewan
01.2017 - 04.2018
Ph.D Candidate - Economics
Western University
Master of Science (M.Sc) - Economics
University of Saskatchewan
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) - Biochemistry
University of Saskatchewan
Similar Profiles
Chu SongChu Song
Business Analyst (Feasibility Project) at Western UniversityBusiness Analyst (Feasibility Project) at Western University
LIDIA ESTHER BATISTA VAZQUEZLIDIA ESTHER BATISTA VAZQUEZ
Visiting Graduate Researcher at Western UniversityVisiting Graduate Researcher at Western University
HAOYU WANGHAOYU WANG
Post-doctoral Associate at Western UniversityPost-doctoral Associate at Western University
Danica DencevDanica Dencev
Caretaker at Western UniversityCaretaker at Western University
NATALIE FUCHS DEUTSCHNATALIE FUCHS DEUTSCH
Facility Receptionist at City of Richmond HillFacility Receptionist at City of Richmond Hill