BEAR webinar: Prof. Mario Macis (Johns Hopkins Carey Business School)

Should We Pay People to Save Lives? The Economics and Ethics of Donor Incentives Should we pay people to donate blood, plasma, or a kidney? Incentives could help address persistent shortages, yet they raise concerns about altruism, safety, exploitation, and fairness. Economist Mario Macis from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, drawing on field experiments and surveys, explores what happens when incentives enter an activity traditionally viewed as a gift—and why some forms of compensation gain public acceptance while others face resistance.  The webinar examines how the design of incentives, who pays, and evidence about their benefits shape both behaviour and public opinion. Examples from blood donation, kidney transplantation, and debates over plasma compensation in Canada and Europe illustrate a broader question: how can we design policies that are effective and responsive to society’s ethical concerns? Speaker: Prof. Mario Macis Professor and Area Chair for Economics, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School