Dr. Bachir Kassas, who joined the University of Florida in August 2018, has recently been promoted to the rank of associate professor. This is a well-deserved recognition of his scholarly pursuits and leadership in engaging the next generation of agricultural and applied economists.
“It is very rewarding to feel that my work is valued by my peers, and this recognition motivates me to keep pushing forward in my mission to advance science and improve lives,” Kassas said.
Kassas’s experimental economics research aims to provide insights into consumer preferences and health-related behavior.
“Total spending on food at home and food away from home in the US reached $2.63 trillion in 2024, thus representing a major factor that influences key economic and societal outcomes,” Kassas said. “At the same time, obesity continues to rise in the US, surpassing 40% of adults and 20% of children in 2024, and presenting a persistent public health challenge. My research focuses on applying experimental and survey methods to 1) understand how consumers form preferences and translate them to purchasing decisions, and 2) uncover the underlying mechanisms leading to unhealthy consumer habits.”
To gain these insights, Kassas combines traditional methods with innovative neuroeconomic tools.
“These tools allow us to explore the internal pathways through which consumers process information, form preferences, and react to both personal states (such as mood, hunger, or stress) and interpersonal influences (such as social norms and environments),” Kassas said.
Before joining UF, Kassas participated in the establishment of the Human Behavior Laboratory (HBL) at Texas A&M University, where he served as the manager during his studies as a graduate student. Now, he also serves as the founder and current director of The Economic Experiment Lab (EEL), which he established as a mobile experimental lab.
“Building this lab from the ground up has been a rewarding experience, as it now serves as a platform for student training and interdisciplinary collaborations on research aimed at improving food marketing and public health outcomes,” Kassas said.
The EEL contains 30 computer stations and 3 fully equipped neuroeconomics stations that are ready for deployment to conduct surveys and experimental research in the lab and field, collecting a broad range of psychophysiological data, including eye tracking, pupil dilation, brain activity, facial expressions of emotions, skin conductance, and heart rate.
The biometric data collected enables him to develop behavioral models that enhance the current understanding of individual decision-making processes.
“Ultimately, this research benefits the general public by contributing to a more efficient and transparent food system—one that empowers informed decision-making and helps improve public health outcomes,” Kassas said.
Recent research projects covered by Kassas and his colleagues in the EEL have included work addressing Florida’s Citrus Greening crisis by exploring message framing for consumer acceptance of CRISPR-edited citrus. Their research into the efficacy of “healthy” front-of-package labeling came at a critical time when the United States Food & Drug Administration was finalizing its policy for regulating the “healthy” nutrient content claim.
“This neurobehavioral approach also helps uncover the internal mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of behavioral nudges, shedding light on how and why certain interventions work,” Kassas said. “Ultimately, this enhances our ability to design more effective policies, marketing strategies, and health interventions that can improve market performance and public health outcomes.”
While the larger impact of his program on the public is one of the main drivers behind Kassas’s ambition, the impact on his rising peers in the field through creating research opportunities for current students is equally important to Kassas. Through the EEL, he mentors many undergraduate and graduate students, exposing them to new avenues of exploration in experimental economics.
“I am most proud of my undergraduate and graduate students, whose dedication and hard work drive the progress of the Economic Experiment Lab and embody its mission: to dream big, work hard, and help others.”
As he continues his tenure at the University of Florida, Kassas hopes to make a difference through both his research insights and also new talent brought into the field of experimental economics through the opportunities for collaboration and hands-on experience the EEL provides.
“I look forward to continuing to work with my bright students, and to recruiting new talent to join the Economic Experiment Lab and contribute to our shared goal of advancing science and improving lives,” Kassas said. “I am also excited to further expand the lab’s capabilities and impact, producing timely and relevant research that informs policy, supports local growers, and advances public health outcomes.”
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