Epidemiology

The social epidemiology cluster seeks to understand the ways in which social, psychological, political, cultural, and economic circumstances influence our chances for a healthy life.

We combine theory from the social sciences with rigorous epidemiological methods so that we can illuminate the connections between social factors and health and use what  we find to improve health. Within this broad frame we have a special interest in the connections between social inequalities and health inequalities.

The cluster has three aims. First, we aim to produce knowledge about the influence of social circumstances on health with a special emphasis on the production of social inequalities in health. Second, we aim to train and mentor a new generation of scholars who have the capacity to conduct rigorous research on the role of social factors in health. Third, we aim to leverage what we learn to improve population health and reduce health inequalities locally, nationally and across international borders.   

Selected Projects

Emerging health disparities
Examining the intersection and mutual influence of socioeconomic status, cognitive ability, and health itself over the lifecourse, this study funded by the National Institute for Children’s Health and Development, brings together a broad interdisciplinary group from across CUMC to assess
health outcomes in depression, lung function, obesity and other indicators of health.

Expressed emotion and stigma among Chinese-Americans with schizophrenia
Investigators examine the specific social and cultural factors that improve the course of schizophrenia among a high-risk group of Chinese immigrants, as well as how stigma unfolds among a group that is at risk for developing psychosis.

Stigma associated with a ‘high-risk’ for psychosis
This study addresses the longitudinal trajectory of stigma among a High Risk for Psychosis (HRP) group, as well as the neurocognitive and social cognitive underpinnings of stigma perceptions in this group. We examine how these factors may adversely impact psychological, social, and developmental outcomes among HRP individuals.

Mental health consequences of the US economic downturn
Investigators have been awarded a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to conduct a rapid collaborative assessment of evidence on the mental health impact of economic contractions and to identify opportunities for government interventions.

Affiliated Centers and Programs

The Center for the Study of Social Inequalities and Health

Training Opportunities

Robert Wood Johnson Health & Society Scholars

As one of the six sites in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health & Society Scholars (H&SS) Program, Columbia H&SS promotes innovative and interdisciplinary research in population health. The program integrates faculty and Scholars in the health, behavioral, social, and environmental sciences and supports theoretically-informed and methodologically rigorous basic and applied research. The program fosters an intellectual environment open to unexpected insights from our juxtaposition of different disciplines and points of view.

Cluster Faculty

A list of faculty involved with the cluster.