My work attempts to build inroads between social epidemiology and genetic epidemiology. I am interested in the social structures that limit or enable genetic factors to influence health related behaviors. I am primarily interested in normative and institutional factors that clarify the extent to which genes may be influencing a behavior like regular smoking. For example, I have shown that genetic factors linked to smoking are more relevant in schools in which the most popular students are also those who smoke the most. Thus, the social environment is posited as a 'triggering' mechanism for genetic expression.
SOCY 2061 - Introduction to Social Statistics
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2019
Introduces students to quantitative analysis of social phenomena. Emphasizes understanding and proper interpretation of graphs; measures of central tendency, dispersion, and association; and the concept of statistical significance. Assumes students have only limited mathematical background.
SOCY 5111 - Data 1: Introduction to Social Statistics
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Spring 2019 / Spring 2020
Introduces statistical analysis in the social sciences. Introduces basic techniques of inferential statistics and several bivariate statistical techniques including t-test for the difference in means, chi-square independence, analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation, and simple regression (OLS). Prepares students for the required course on multivariate regression techniques (Data 2).
