Layne Kirshon

Layne Kirshon is a Ph.D. student in Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has a strong academic background, having previously earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Economics from Northwestern University, where he graduated summa cum laude and received several prestigious awards, including the Oliver Welland Prize for the top graduating senior in Mathematics and the Eisner Prize for the best economics thesis.

Academic Pursuits

At MIT, Kirshon is focusing on financial economics, with research interests that include empirical and theoretical asset pricing as well as game theory and mechanism design. He has passed field exams in these areas and is advised by notable professors Ricardo Caballero and Alp Simsek. His academic achievements have been recognized through the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, which supports his studies.

Professional Experience

In addition to his academic work, Kirshon has gained substantial professional experience in finance:

• Analyst at Tiger Global Management (2022 - Present) in New York City.
• Quantitative Researcher at Citadel (2020 - 2021).
• Options Market Maker at Akuna Capital (2019).
• Investment Associate at Bridgewater Associates (2017 - 2018), where he focused on systematic global macro strategies during his third year of Ph.D. studies.
• Research Assistant at the National Bureau of Economic Research (2014 - 2015), where he worked on behavioral finance under David Laibson.

Personal Interests

Kirshon is originally from Houston, Texas, and enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and skiing, as well as board games and improv/stand-up comedy.123

His diverse experiences and strong academic foundation position him as a promising economist with a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application in financial markets.