Bruce G. Link, PhD

  • Special Lecturer of Epidemiology and Sociomedical Sciences
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Overview

Dr. Bruce Link, a sociologist, is a research scientist at New York State Psychiatric Institute, in addition to his responsibilities at the Mailman School. Dr. Link's interests are centered on topics in psychiatric and social epidemiology. He has written on the connection between socioeconomic status and health, homelessness, violence, stigma, and discrimination. With Jo Phelan, he has advanced the theory of social conditions as fundamental causes of disease.

Currently he is conducting research aimed at understanding health disparities by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status, the consequences of social stigma for people with mental illnesses, and the connection between mental illnesses and violent behaviors. He is the director of the Psychiatric Epidemiology Training Program, the director of the Center for Violence Research and Prevention and a director of the Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholars Program at Columbia University.

Academic Appointments

  • Special Lecturer of Epidemiology and Sociomedical Sciences

Gender

  • Male

Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

  • BA, 1971 Earlham College
  • PhD, 1980 Columbia University
  • MS, 1982 Columbia University

Committees, Societies, Councils

Member, Insitute of Medicine

American Public health Association

American Sociological Association

Society for the Study of Social Problems

National Adivsory Committee RWJ Health Policy Investigators

Editorial Boards

Social Psychology Quarterly

Health

Psychiatric Rehabilitation Skills

Honors & Awards

Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching-Columbia University (2005)

Elected to the Institute of Medicine (2002)

Leonard Pearlin Award for Distinguished Contributions, American Sociological Association Mental Health Section (2002)

Chair Medical Sociology-American Sociological Association (2001)

RWJ Health Policy Investigator Award (1996)

Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Investigator Award Policy (1996)

Chair Mental Health Section-American Sociological Association (1996)

NARSAD Senior Investigator Award (1994)

RWJ Health Policy Investigator Award 1996

Pearlin Career Award in the Sociology of Mental Health 2002

Institute of Medicine 2002

Research

Research Interests

  • Biostatistical Methods
  • Chronic disease
  • Community Health
  • Mental Health

Urban Health Activities

Community Outcomes of Assisted Outpatient Treatment: New York State's "Kendra's Law" is a provision that court orders individuals with severe mental illness to outpatient psychiatric treatment. This research project examines the long term outcomes of people from the Bronx and Queens who are assigned to this program.