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Tayfun Sönmez

@tayfunsonmez.bsky.social
1.3K followers 543 following 51 posts

Professor of Economics at Boston College, Minimalist Design Economist, Hiker, World Traveler Website: www.tayfunsonmez.net Banu Bedestenci Sönmez Liver Paired Exchange System: caprazkaracigernakli.inonu.edu.tr/en

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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
Thanks! I wrote about this a bit in my monograph on minimalist market design. It explicitly talks about the liver exchange program and the factors in its success in Section 12, but the rest of the monograph is also related to achieving such impact. I hope you find it useful arxiv.org/abs/2401.00307
arxiv.org
Minimalist Market Design: A Framework for Economists with Policy Aspirations
In this monograph, I describe the philosophy, evolution, and successful applications of minimalist market design while also presenting the advancements in matching theory achieved through these applic...
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Al Roth @alroth.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
Science turns out to be like liberal democracy: imperfect but better than the available alternatives #econsky #academicsky #science @vaccines marketdesigner.blogspot.com/2025/09/scin...
marketdesigner.blogspot.com
Science and politics: Can you fix science by doing much less of it?
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
Our beloved Banu must be smiling from above today ✨💙 So emotional, happy, and proud of this milestone. Deepest congratulations to the wonderful Prof. Dr. Sezai Yilmaz and his amazing team. What a legacy 🙏❤️
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
Sezai Yılmaz hocamızın Malatya’da Avrupa’nın en başarılı karaciğer nakil merkezlerinden birini kurmasının ve sonrasında yollarımızın kesişerek dünyanın en etkili karaciğer çapraz nakil sistemini en kıymetlimiz-rahmetli eşim-Banu’nun anısına kurmamızın hikayesi🫶 www.fortuneturkey.com/malatyayi-du...
fortuneturkey.com
Malatya’yı Dünya Haritasına Yerleştiren Hekim | Fortune Turkey
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
But during yesterday’s operations, the O donor’s graft proved larger and perfect for a direct transplant to their patient. Still able to perform a 2-way exchange for other pairs, the superior direct transplant was performed. This highlights how crucial exchange system is, even when plans change!
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
Yesterday, our amazing İnönü University partners showcased dynamic nature of liver exchange! We had an O blood-type patient with a O blood-type donor in a planned 3-way exchange. Pre-op calculations suggested graft size was too small for a direct transplant.
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
Lecture slides are available in the following page: www.tayfunsonmez.net/mini-course/
tayfunsonmez.net
Mini-Courses | Tayfun SönmezTayfun Sönmez | Mini-CoursesTayfun Sönmez
This mini-course provides an overview of some recent research and policy work on matching markets. The focus of the course is the evolution of the literature both from a theoretical and also practical...
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
Please join us for the 4-lecture mini course I will give on minimalist market design at University of StGallen this week. The course is open to all and available both in person and via zoom. See below for the registration info and the link in the next comment for the course slides.
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
Congratulations Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social for this great recognition 👏 Very well-deserved 🏅
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
The Turkish opposition held a massive rally today in one of Erdoğan’s most loyal strongholds. A farmer nailed it: "You can’t run a country with radish and turnip. You run it with truth, law, and justice." The turnip bit might be a coincidence — but it still lands a little too well in the U.S.
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Enfes bir analiz 👌 www.ayrim.org/guncel/ulkey...
ayrim.org
Ülkeyi Yurt Kılmanın Peşinde: 2025 Baharından Geleceğe Bakmak - #ayrım
Cenk Saraçoğlu yazdı...
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Unfortunately, this post has aged far better than I ever wished it would 👇 #EconSky
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 06/04/2025
A collusion of autocrat wannabes: According to CHP leader Özgür Özel, Erdoğan secured Trump’s tacit approval for the arrest of Turkey’s opposition leader—while Trump, in turn, has been increasingly embracing Erdoğan-style authoritarian tactics. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...?
bloomberg.com
Turkish Opposition Asks Erdogan If US Approved Rival’s Arrest
Turkey’s opposition leader Ozgur Ozel on Sunday challenged President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to say whether he received approval from the Trump administration for the recent arrest of Erdogan’s main riva...
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
Şu an verdiğimiz mücadele sadece Türkiye’nin değil, dünyadaki bütün demokratların otokratlara karşı verdiği ortak bir mücadele…
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
Given the strong parallels between leadership styles of Trump and Erdogan, and the rapid deterioration of democratic institutions in the US, the same headline equally applies to Americam democracy 🙁
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
Bu paylaşımda The Guardian gazetesine haksızlık yapıldığı düşüncesindeyim. Hem Türkiye hem bütün dünyada otokrasi karşıtı, merkez sol ve sosyal olarak liberal görüşü temsil eden bir gazetedir. Keza bu başlığı atması da Türkiye’deki muhalefete güçlü desteğinin göstergesidir.
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
Uluslararası akademik camiada özellikle 2024 Aralık ayı sonrasında Bluesky platformuna yoğun bir geçiş oldu. Ben de o dönem katıldım.
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
Before his arrest on bogus charges, opposition presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu said: “No salvation alone; either all of us together, or none of us.” His words echo far beyond Turkey — a powerful call to unite against authoritarianism.
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Al Roth @alroth.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
Here's an open letter to the American people, that I was proud to sign along with thousands of other members of the National Academy of Sciences #EconSky #AcademicSky marketdesigner.blogspot.com/2025/03/open...
marketdesigner.blogspot.com
Open letter on Science
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Al Roth @alroth.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
Congestion and congestion pricing: Ostrovsky and Kominers (QED) #Econsky #congestion marketdesigner.blogspot.com/2025/03/mike...
marketdesigner.blogspot.com
Mike Ostrovsky on congestion pricing (podcast)
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 30/03/2025
Excellent analysis… www.cer.eu/insights/don...
cer.eu
Donald Trump's return to office: Ten consequences
Donald Trump’s second presidency is shaking up the geopolitical landscape. Most of the consequences are harmful, but some are beneficial.
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
Erdogan, during his tenure as Mayor of Istanbul in 1990s famously stated “Democracy is like a train: when we reach our destination, we get off.” More than 2 million people gathered today in Istanbul (despite a 9 day holiday) to show Turkish people’s commitment to democracy.
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
Before his arrest on bogus charges, opposition presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu said: “No salvation alone; either all of us together, or none of us.” His words echo far beyond Turkey — a powerful call to unite against authoritarianism.
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
Trump’s policies embolden the Erdoğan regime to push Turkey toward full-blown dictatorship, while Musk’s X suspends opposition accounts amid civil unrest. www.politico.eu/article/musk...
politico.eu
Musk’s X suspends opposition accounts in Turkey amid civil unrest
Suspensions affect accounts spreading information about the widespread demonstrations.
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
Truly looking forward to this event. Please join the subsequent mini course I will give on minimalist market design if you are close by to St. Gallen in late May. www.unisg.ch/en/news/even...
unisg.ch
ERP-HSG Lecture with Prof. Tayfun Sönmez: “Minimalist Market Design for Organ Transplantation”
In this public ERP-HSG Lecture, Prof. Tayfun Sönmez (Boston College) explores the transformative impact of “minimalist market design” in organ transplantation and beyond. Drawing on two decades of res...
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
Wtf seems about right 😡
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
Last year @shengwuli.bsky.social pointed out that the core tenet of my minimalist market design framework—"Don't fix what's not broken"—echoes Chesterton’s Fence (now discussed in Section 2.2.2). In an age of Trumpian & DOGE policies, this tenet feels especially relevant. arxiv.org/pdf/2401.00307
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 09/03/2025
Fantastic research program offering solutions to challenges Boston Public Schools officials faced 2 decades ago when choosing between the Deferred Acceptance and Top Trading Cycles. The framework by ‪@charmelades.bsky.social & @aromeromedina.bsky.social could have served as an innovative compromise.
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
Congratulations Lise 👏 Very well deserved 🏆
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M. Utku Ünver @muunver.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
Thank you, Al, for promoting our collaborators' work. You can more learn about the background of how we initiated the Liver Paired Exchange Program in Malatya in Section 12.3 of the manuscript of @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social arxiv.org/pdf/2401.003...
intayfunsonmez.bsky.social
Bluesky
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
In these difficult times, we find solace in the achievements of our partners in Malatya, Turkey, who performed their fifth 6-way liver exchange today 👏 Having performed 29 LE transplants in 2025 through the Banu Bedestenci Sönmez LPE system, they are on track to surpass their record of 122 in 2024 🥇
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
For years, I have argued that there should be a penalty for producing non-impactful research, especially in top outlets. Such a mechanism would deter the producing mediocre research, whether generated with or w/o AI. It would also help curb the undue advantage held by gatekeepers in academia.
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Dani Rodrik @drodrik.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
Opposition from civil society is no doubt important, but it's effective, organized, *unified* political opposition that is needed to reverse the authoritarian slide. That at least is the lesson I draw from (the failures of the opposition parties in) Erdogan's Turkey. Looking at you, Democrats!
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Thank you! I would love to hear your take on it!
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Hi Nikhil, thanks for covering several of my papers in your course. Much appreciated. You may also find the following monograph I have recently circulated of interest. It outlines the design framework which has lead to these applications and facilitated their policy impact. arxiv.org/pdf/2401.00307
arxiv.org
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Alex Teytelboym @t8el.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
We have just advertised a one-year postdoc in Oxford for anyone interested in economic theory and especially market design: econjobmarket.org/positions/11.... Feel free to reach out for more info! Applications from folks on the current job market and those planning to go next year are welcome!
econjobmarket.org
EJM - Econ Job Market
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
DeepSeek breakthrough highlights the value of use-inspired basic research in designing products, policies, and institutions over purely engineering-driven approaches, as noted in Section 3 of my minimalist market design monograph. arxiv.org/pdf/2401.00307
arxiv.org
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Thank you for sharing your touching story and beautiful perspective. I had the privilege to be soulmates with someone just like you, both in the hardships you endure and the positive attitude. During her cancer we learned to live the present. Hiking & travel helped. I wish you the best. Respect.
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
There are many papers in market design, which use theory as a formal tool rather than empirics, although the main point is policy rather than advancing theory. In the past AEJ:Policy forwarded such papers to AEJ:Micro. It will be great if the journal develops expertise to evaluate such submissions.
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Michael Ostrovsky @mostrovsky.bsky.social · 07/01/2025
One would normally want to wait longer to evaluate the effects of major policy changes, but the results of the first three days of #CongestionPricing in New York City are so striking that it is already possible to make some (at least preliminary) conclusions.
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M. Utku Ünver @muunver.bsky.social · 04/01/2025
I am proud to announce that the BBS Liver Exchange System that I co-founded (along with Tayfun Sönmez and Sezai Yilmaz) just facilitated its 201st transplant. I am very proud to be helping such a brilliant and dedicated bunch of doctors and professionals. caprazkaracigernakli.inonu.edu.tr/en
caprazkaracigernakli.inonu.edu.tr
Banu Bedestenci Sönmez Liver Paired Exchange System
Global Leader In Liver Paired Exchange | İnönü University Banu Bedestenci Sönmez Liver Paired Exchange System
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 04/01/2025
Thank you Anna, much appreciated 🙏 No doubt the desire to make Banu’s sacrifices count is one of my primary motivations in these efforts.
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 04/01/2025
Thank you @spydermed.bsky.social‬ for your very kind message, and more importantly, for your gift of life. We are fortunate to be able to amplify the positive impact of gifts of selfless people like yourself 🙏
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 04/01/2025
Thank you, Marciano. I also circulated a significantly revised and expanded version of my monograph on minimalist market design. Rather than adopting an engineering approach, it emphasizes use-inspired theory to drive policy impact. I hope you find it useful for your course. arxiv.org/abs/2401.00307
arxiv.org
Minimalist Market Design: A Framework for Economists with Policy Aspirations
In this monograph, I describe the philosophy, evolution, and successful applications of minimalist market design while also presenting the advancements in matching theory achieved through these applic...
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 04/01/2025
Among all the policy and research milestones we’ve accomplished through minimalist market design, this one is closest to my heart, as it is dedicated to my beloved late wife, Banu. Her story can be found at the following link: caprazkaracigernakli.inonu.edu.tr/en/who-is-ba... 3/3
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 04/01/2025
Within 2.5 years of launch, the system hosted all global 4-way to 7-way exchanges and 22 of 25 global 3-way exchanges. It surpassed 100 transplants in March 2024 and became the first to exceed 100 in a single year by September 2024. 2/3
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 04/01/2025
Another milestone for the Banu Bedestenci Sönmez Liver Paired Exchange System: With today’s emergency 3-way exchange, it became the first system to surpass 200 transplants. In 2024, the system performed 124 transplants, 45% of all transplants. No other system performed more than 10 in a year. 1/3
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 24/12/2024
Beyond making referee reviews and author response to accepted papers available, I think there is a lot of value making rejected papers and their responses also available. There will be more self policing in what authors submit and where, and reviewers will be more diligent in their reviews.
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Tayfun Sönmez @tayfunsonmez.bsky.social · 21/12/2024
How about doing away with the basic vs applied science division, and going for “use-inspired basic science” as defined by Donald Stokes in his landmark piece on Pasteur’s Quadrant. See Section 3 of my revised monograph on minimalist market design for a discussion of this arxiv.org/pdf/2401.00307
arxiv.org
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Alex Teytelboym @t8el.bsky.social · 16/12/2024
It was a *lot* of fun editing this Special Issue in honour of Vince. The topics covered in these papers barely scratch the surface of Vince's wide-ranging interests and contributions. But I think they nicely reflect Vince's early research interests going back all the way to his PhD...
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