Ken Moon uses data to uncover truth
Ken Moon | Associate Professor | Dyson School
Meet Ken Moon, one of our newest faculty members to join the Cornell University SC Johnson College of Business. Moon received his Ph.D. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and undergraduate degree from Stanford University. He is also a retired member of the New York bar.
Moon use large datasets to study and optimize the organization of workers and of markets. His research applies mathematical modeling, causal analysis, and algorithms to improve the performance and treatment of workforces, the operations of markets, and how we should design policies and regulations for both.
“The ways we use data constantly reshape how we work, shop, and interact. I am passionate about using technological change to fill critical gaps in our understanding and coordination of these activities,” Moon says. “For example, sensors and platforms like blockchain allow us to track live biometrics from workers and transparently verify the far-flung sourcing of food products. How does this empower us to lessen the burnout of critical workers such as ICU nurses, or to enhance our marketplace experiences by making sellers’ supply chains more transparent? My research uses a variety of data-centric tools and methods to answer questions like these.”
What is a research paper of yours that is important to you, your work, or the world at large?
“Recently, I coauthored a paper studying the widespread use of antipsychotic drugs as ‘chemical restraints’ in U.S. nursing homes. To many of us, it is surprising that approximately a fifth of all nursing home residents are administered these drugs, which are only intended for serious psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia but also have a heavily sedative effect.”
“There is no valid medical reason for a nursing home to administer more of these drugs on account of being short-staffed. Yet, this is exactly what we find: being short-staffed causes nursing homes to administer more antipsychotic drugs. By sedating difficult patients suffering from dementia, these medications can be a cost-saving operational workaround for homes that lack the staffing to provide adequate care and attention.”
“In fact, we estimate that new federal staffing mandate struck down by a Texas federal court earlier this year would have led to 24,000 fewer nursing home residents being medicated with antipsychotics in the U.S. — a drop of nearly 10% in usage.”
“This work is important to me because it shows the power of data to dispassionately uncover truths affecting many lives. By letting the data speak, it gives voice to patients who can’t speak up or advocate for themselves.”
What is a current issue in business or business education that you are interested in, and why is it important to you and your work?
“I believe that our ability to manage and learn from data will influence how we navigate several key challenges of our time. We will require the ability to be agile and effective in forming critical supply chains, especially around energy resources. We already need more data-driven and open healthcare initiatives to drive productivity and patient outcomes using data. Innovation around healthcare incentives (e.g., for incentivizing continuity of care in insurance plans) is consistently adopted by a very small, known segment of the healthcare industry. How can data guide us strategically in spreading successful incentives more broadly? How can data further help us in successfully navigating the industry’s larger trends of consolidation and technological platformization? Finally, data and technologies such as AI hold tremendous promise for enhancing our human capital. I hope for my research and teaching to contribute to each of these key challenges over the next five to 10 years.”