Ali Hortaçsu is Ralph and Mary Otis Isham Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago Department of Economics. His work is focused on empirically assessing the efficiency of markets. He utilizes detailed micro-level data from the markets studied to estimate preference and technology parameters that rationalize individual behavior. He then uses the estimated preferences and technological parameters to construct benchmarks and assess how far observed market outcomes are from efficiency.

Hortaçsu received his BSc and MSc degrees from the Stanford University Department of Electrical Engineering. After completing his PhD in economics at Stanford University in 2001, he worked as a visiting assistant professor and visiting professor of economics at Harvard University, Northwestern University and Yale University respectively. Before his current post at the University of Chicago, he served as assistant professor of economics between 2001-2006, and as professor of economics between 2006-2014.

A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a fellow of the Econometric Society, Hortaçsu is a research associate for the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Industrial Organization Program, and was named an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow in 2006. In addition to having published numerous papers in prestigious academic publications in the fields of economics and industrial organization, Hortaçsu has worked as co-editor of the Journal of Political Economy and the RAND Journal of Economics, as well as serving as editorial board member and associate editor for various journals. He has served as a member of the National Science Foundation Economics Panel, and won multiple NSF grants for his research work, including an NSF CAREER Grant.