About
Richard T. Thakor is an Associate Professor of Finance at University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management. He is a Research Affiliate at the MIT Laboratory for Financial Engineering (LFE), and is a Research Affiliate at the WFA Center for Finance and Accounting Research (WFA-CFAR) at Washington University in St. Louis. He joined the finance department at University of Minnesota in 2016 after earning his PhD in Financial Economics from MIT. He also holds an M.S. in Management Research from MIT, an MSc in Finance and Economics from the London School of Economics (LSE), and a B.A. (summa cum laude) in Economics and Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to earning his PhD, he worked in investment management as a Derivatives Trading Analyst. He does research in empirical and theoretical corporate finance, in the areas of R&D and innovation, healthcare finance, financial institutions, and the effects of financial frictions on firm investments.
Education
Ph.D. Financial Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
M.S. Management Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
MSc Finance and Economics, London School of Economics (LSE)
B.A. (Summa Cum Laude), Washington University in St. Louis
Majors: Economics, Psychology
Minors: Mathematics, Japanese
Professional Experience
Quantitative Life Sciences (QLS) Advisors, LLC
Advisory Board Member (February 2021 -- Present)
NISA Investment Advisors, LLC
Derivatives Trading Analyst (September 2008 -- June 2010)
Research and Derivatives Trading Intern, Part-time (Spring 2007)
Research and Derivatives Trading Intern (Summer 2006)
Disclosure Statement
Thakor is an advisor and consultant to QLS Advisors, LLC, a healthcare investment and advisory firm based in Cambridge, MA.
Personal Interests
Professor Thakor enjoys skiing and hiking in the mountains. He also enjoys martial arts -- he has trained in Tae Kwon Do, American Karate, and Kendo. He holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and a black belt in Karate.