Research Programs
The Center for Epidemiology & Population Health has three key research programs. These programs serve as a central hub for research involving innovative new data sources, linking diverse data, pooling and harmonization as well as research on social determinants of health.
Social Environment & Health Program
Program Director: Kiarri Kershaw, PhD
Our program focuses on understanding the contributions of the social environment to adverse health behaviors and outcomes. We use existing data sources to measure and evaluate the health impacts of various aspects of the social environment including chronic stress, social relationships, neighborhood conditions and racial/ethnic residential segregation. We also utilize community-engaged approaches to collect data to examine these associations in the Chicago area. Our goal is to identify modifiable aspects of the social environment and develop interventions to target them in order to reduce health inequities.