Axel Niemeyer's research is focused on mechanism design, a subfield of economic theory. The goal is to find mechanisms—such as rules for allocating goods or making collective decisions—that lead to desirable outcomes even if the participating agents, who have their own set of goals and information, behave strategically. Niemeyer's recent work is concerned with mechanism design in settings where monetary transfers cannot be used. Before joining Caltech, he completed a PhD in Economics at the University of Bonn.