His research focuses on issues related to consumer finance, labor economics, and urban economics, with an emphasis on the mortgage and credit card markets. Prior to joining the faculty of the Harris School, Keys was a staff economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Keys holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Michigan and a BA in Economics and Political Science from Swarthmore College. His work has been published in journals such as the Quarterly Journal of Economics, Review of Financial Studies, and Review of Economics and Statistics.