About

Salman Arif holds the Curtis L Carlson Professorship and is an award-winning associate professor at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. He was previously an assistant professor at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and a visiting assistant professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a BA in Mathematics from Cornell University and a PhD from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. His research career began with the multispectral image processing system aboard NASA's Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers, followed by trading exotic equity and credit derivatives at JP Morgan.

Research topics

• Business
• Finance
• Economics
• Computer Security
• Monetary economics
• Cardiology
• Internal medicine
• Accounting
• Surgery
• Medicine

Selected publications

• The Value of Values: Does Focusing on Sustainability Provide a Competitive Advantage in Forecasting Earnings?

  Contemporary Accounting Research · 2026-03-19

  articleOpen access1st author

  ABSTRACT We identify sustainability‐focused analysts using recent advances in machine learning combined with conference call transcripts. Sustainability‐focused analysts issue more accurate earnings forecasts, and the stock market reacts more strongly to their revisions. The forecasting advantage of sustainability‐focused analysts is amplified for material sustainability issues, small firms, and growth firms. Consistent with a learning curve in understanding how sustainability issues relate to future performance, we find that less experienced analysts are less likely to focus on sustainability and that they reap fewer benefits in forecast accuracy when they do so. Our results suggest that far from being an inefficient use of time and resources, focusing on sustainability provides a competitive advantage in one of the most pivotal steps in valuation: forecasting earnings.

  PublisherDOI

• Comparing perioperative outcomes in video-assisted thoracic surgery and robot-assisted thoracic surgery in lung cancer surgeries: a single-centre experience

  The Cardiothoracic Surgeon · 2025-02-18 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Background Lung cancer continues to be the primary cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with surgical resection recognised as the gold standard for non-small cell lung cancer. Recent innovations in thoracic surgery, including video-assisted thoracic surgery and robotic-assisted thoracic surgery, have revolutionised surgical methodologies. This study seeks to evaluate the perioperative outcomes of video-assisted thoracic surgery and robotic-assisted thoracic surgery in lung cancer procedures, concentrating on postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and overall efficacy based on a single-centre experience. Results A total of 269 lung resections were conducted, with 176 (65.4%) completed using video-assisted thoracic surgery and 93 (34.6%) utilising robotic-assisted thoracic surgery. No notable disparities were observed in demographics or preoperative characteristics between the groups. The overall complication rates were 13.1% for video-assisted thoracic surgery and 16.1% for robotic-assisted thoracic surgery ( p = 0.507). No substantial changes were observed in specific problems, such as air leaks and infections. The average postoperative duration was 3.26 days for video-assisted thoracic surgery and 3.70 days for robotic-assisted thoracic surgery ( p = 0.252), with a 30-day mortality rate of 0.6% for video-assisted thoracic surgery and 0% for robotic-assisted thoracic surgery. Conclusions Video-assisted thoracic surgery and robotic-assisted thoracic surgery produce similar perioperative results in lung cancer procedures, showing no statistically significant differences in complications, length of hospital stay, or fatality rates. These findings correspond with the current literature, indicating that although robotic-assisted thoracic surgery may present specific benefits, the overall efficacy of both strategies is comparable. Future research using larger cohorts is crucial to gain a more in-depth understanding of these techniques and their long-term effects on patient outcomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Product Recall Decisions and the CEO: Informed Trading in the Medical Device Industry

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2024-01-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• 200 Comparative analysis of perioperative outcomes in VATS and RATS lung resections: a retrospective audit

  Lung Cancer · 2024-04-01

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• The Value of Values: Does Focusing on Sustainability Provide a Competitive Advantage in Forecasting Earnings?

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2024-01-01 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Behavioral Distortions in Risk-Taking Incentives and Stock Returns

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2024-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Allogeneic stem cell Transplant in Hematological Disorders: A Decade of Experience

  International Journal of Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Research · 2024-10-21

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Background: Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is a complex procedure with the potential to provide curative treatment for various hematological disorders. This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of allo-HCT in hematological diseases and identify significant complications in a single-center setting. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 180 patients with hematological diseases who underwent allo-HCT between January 2011 and December 2021. Key outcomes, including indications for transplantation, overall survival, engraftment time, relapse rates, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and transplant-related mortality (TRM) were assessed. Results: The most common indications for allo-HCT were benign hematological diseases, particularly aplastic anemia, and thalassemia major. Despite the majority of patients receiving fully matched transplants, Acute GVHD was observed in 30% of the cohort. Graft failure occurred in 13 patients, with primary and secondary graft failure rates of 1.6% and 5.5%, respectively. Sepsis emerged as the primary cause of non-relapsed mortality at day 100 and beyond. The overall survival rate in this study was 62%, with 79% of patients disease-free on their last visit. Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into the treatment strategies and patient care of allo-HCT for hematological disorders by offering a comprehensive overview of multiple relevant outcomes. The findings underscore the significance of addressing complications and risk factors associated with allogeneic transplantation, including GVHD and infections. Future research should focus on further optimizing transplantation techniques to minimize complications and enhance patient survival.

  PublisherDOI

• Does accounting information identify bubbles for Fama? Evidence from accruals

  Journal of Accounting and Economics · 2024-07-11 · 4 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Does Accounting Information Identify Bubbles for Fama? Evidence from Accruals

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2024-01-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• How to Manage a Large Undifferentiated Lung Cancer Mass: A Case Report

  Cureus · 2024-12-05

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer globally. An important subtype to discuss is undifferentiated carcinomas, which are variants of large cell carcinoma, and these can typically present with evidence of neuroendocrine differentiation. The patient presented with a large mass in the right upper lobe extending into the middle lobe. It was attached to the pleura and involved the pericardium medially. The biopsy showed poorly differentiated carcinoma. However, pleural origin could not be ruled out. Hence, the patient was planned to have surgical excision followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. The surgical excision involved a video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) inspection followed by median sternotomy for medial dissection and then the excision was completed through right posterolateral thoracotomy. The patient recovered well postoperatively and went home on Day 7. The patient is doing well at four months follow-up. It is interesting to know how a large tumour can be managed when the origin of the tumour is not certain and neoadjuvant therapy cannot be utilized to downsize the tumour.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Charles M.C. Lee

  13 shared

• Azi Ben-Rephael

  Rutgers Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

  9 shared

• Azar Hussain

  Castle Hill Hospital

  9 shared

• Teri Lombardi Yohn

  Emory University

  7 shared

• Joseph H. Schroeder

  7 shared

• Nathan T. Marshall

  University of Colorado System

  7 shared

• Yadav Gopalan

  Indiana University

  4 shared

• Zachary Kaplan

  Washington University in St. Louis

  4 shared

Awards & honors

• Indiana University Trustee Teaching Award
• Finalist for the Business Week Faculty of the Year