Alexis A Merdjanoff

Dr. Alexis Merdjanoff serves as Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Director of the Environmental Public Health Program at New York University's School of Global Public Health. Her research bridges sociology and public health, focusing on long-term disaster impacts on vulnerable populations, particularly examining how social inequalities shape health outcomes following natural hazards including hurricanes, floods, extreme heat, and wildfires.

Her educational background includes a BS in Sociology (Magna Cum Laude) from New York University, followed by an MA and PhD in Sociology from Rutgers University. This strong sociological foundation informs her holistic approach to understanding disaster exposure, recovery processes, and resilience mechanisms.

Dr. Merdjanoff's research interests span aging and the life course, disaster impact and recovery, housing stability, mental health, and social determinants of health. She employs mixed-methods research approaches, including semi-structured in-depth interviewing, focus groups, and survey analysis, to examine how environmental stressors create prolonged economic, emotional, and health burdens long after disaster events have passed. Her recent work explores the post-disaster resilience of older adults in high-risk coastal areas.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent themes across disaster types and populations, with particular emphasis on vulnerable groups including children, older adults, and racial/ethnic minorities. Her work increasingly addresses climate change impacts, cumulative disaster exposures, and the intersection of environmental hazards with social inequalities.

• Innovator Program Fellow, National Center for Atmospheric Research (2019)
• Butler-Williams Scholar, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health (2019)
• Aging and Rural Health Research Award, American Public Health Association (2017)
• Best Dissertation in Mental Health, American Sociological Association (2016)
• Anne Foner Dissertation Prize, Rutgers University (2016)

As Director of Research for the Population Impact, Recovery and and Resilience (PiR2) research program, Dr. Merdjanoff leads several major longitudinal studies including the Katrina@10 Program, Sandy Child and Family Health Study, and SCALE-UP East Boston project. She has secured funding from multiple sources including the National Institute on Aging and National Center for Atmospheric Research. Dr. Merdjanoff teaches courses including 'Qualitative & Field Methods in Global Public Health' and 'Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health,' mentoring the next generation of public health researchers.

Her work spans multiple research teams focused on environmental public health, with particular emphasis on the Gulf Coast Population Impact study examining Deepwater Horizon effects, and the Sandy Child and Family Health study analyzing Hurricane Sandy impacts. These teams employ interdisciplinary approaches combining sociology, epidemiology, environmental science, and public health practice.