[1] In addition to her position as a professor of economics at Case Western Reserve University, Helper is, or has been, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution,[1] a committee member of the National Academy of Sciences Panel on Manufacturing, a department editor for the Journal of Operations Management, and an editorial review board member for the Strategic Management Journal.
[2] Most of Helper's research focuses on the United States manufacturing system and ways in which it can be strengthened and revitalized, including bringing back industries that have moved overseas (reshoring).
[5] More recently, her research has focused on the globalization of supply chains and the effects they have regionally, with emphasis in the automotive industry in the United States, Mexico, and China.
[2] Case Western Reserve University awards this honor biannually to women of the faculty, staff, and student body who have made a significant impact on their community with their "professional accomplishments, leadership, and service".
[7] Her published works cover a diverse range of topics—from automotive supply chain innovation to international differences in productivity and employee attitudes.