Collin Payne

Collin Payne is an Associate Professor and ARC DECRA Fellow at the Australian National University's School of Demography, where he also coordinates short courses and micro-credential programs. He holds a PhD in Demography from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Sociology and Applied Statistics from the University of Wisconsin. His research focuses on life-course processes shaping population health, health inequalities, and methodological advancements in multistate analyses and microsimulation. Payne is an ANU Futures Scheme recipient and Associate Investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research, with visiting faculty status at Harvard University's Center for Population and Development Studies.

Research interests include generational health changes across global contexts, interrelations between mental, physical, and cognitive health, and the demographic impacts of trauma and chronic conditions. Methodologically, he specializes in microsimulation models and causal inference methods for population health. His work has examined healthy longevity trends in Australia, South Africa, and the Asia-Pacific, with a focus on socioeconomic gradients and HIV-related outcomes.

Payne has supervised numerous research projects and contributed to grants like 'Advancing Research on Healthy Longevity in Australia and the Asia-Pacific' (2021–2025) and 'Long-Term Impacts of Political Violence on the Health and Wellbeing of China's Elderly' (2022–2024). He leads The Population Lab (Poplab) and maintains an extensive publication record spanning over 50 peer-reviewed articles, with a focus on longitudinal studies, health expectancy dynamics, and global health disparities.