His research interests include the causes and consequences of racial inequality, the development of skills and human capital in both early childhood and adolescence, the labor market for teachers, social interactions in the workplace, youth violence, and lottery gambling. In recent projects, he has investigated the effectiveness of an individualized math instruction program, and the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy based interventions for at-risk youth. Guryan holds a Ph.D. in Economics from MIT. He serves as a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and as an associate editor of Labour Economics. In 2009, he received the John T. Dunlop Outstanding Scholar Award from the Labor and Employment Relations Association.