Courtney Boen

Courtney Boen is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Brown University and Faculty Affiliate in the Population Studies and Training Center. She holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with prior roles including Assistant Professor and Axilrod Faculty Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on social and political determinants of health inequities, combining critical race theory, life course perspectives, and demographic methods. Key interests include population health disparities, aging, racism, immigration, and medical sociology.

Education:

• PhD in Sociology, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (2017)
• MA in Sociology, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (2013)
• MPH in Community Health, Tufts University (2007)
• BA in Sociology, Tufts University (2006)

Research Interests:

• Structural determinants of health
• Racialized legal policies and health
• Life course health dynamics
• Immigration and healthcare access
• Public policy impacts on wellbeing

Her work has been funded by the NIH and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Awards include the 2023 ASA Evolution, Biology & Society Best Article Award and 2021 ASA Aging & Life Course Outstanding Publication Award. Research spans topics like state policies, incarceration effects, and racial disparities in aging. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to bridge social science and public health.

Recent publications analyze immigration policy impacts on health, pandemic mental health policies, and biological age disparities. Grants and fellowships reflect sustained institutional support for her work on health equity.