Fighting Against Hunger: A Country-Wide Intervention and its Impact on Birth Outcomes
World Development, January 2023
Applied Microeconomist
Health and Public Econ
Welcome! My name is Francisco Beltran-Silva, but I go by Franco.
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at California State University, Northridge. I am also an Associate Researcher for V-Auction at Vollers Group. I received my Ph.D. in Economics from Georgia State University. I was born and raised in Mexico City. I majored in Economics at ITAM (Mexican Autonomous Institute of Technology). Before academia, I worked at the Ministry of Finance in Mexico, where I evaluated fiscal policies. Previously, I also worked at Evercore Partners Mexico, an investment bank.
Research Interests
- Health economics
- Development economics
- Public economics
- Adolescent health, substance use, and mental health
- Crime, informality, and public policy
Selected Research
Taxing for Healthier Beginnings: The Impact of a Major Tobacco Tax Hike on Birth Weight in Mexico
Social Science & Medicine - Population Health, December 2025
Beyond Bullets: Perceived Safety and Weapon Carrying in High School Students Following Mass Shootings by Race/Ethnicity, Sex, and Age
Journal of School Violence, October 2025
Scrolling into Substance Use: Social Media Use Frequency and Substance Use Among U.S. High School Students
Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports, June 2026