معرفی
Debra J. Umberson is a Centennial Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, affiliated with the Department of Sociology and the Steve Hicks School of Social Work. She serves as Director of the Center on Aging and Population Sciences (CAPS), one of 12 NIA-funded U.S. centers focused on demography and economics of aging.
- Ph.D., Vanderbilt University
- Email: umberson@prc.utexas.edu
- Research: Population health, aging, social isolation, bereavement, marital dynamics
Her research examines how social relationships influence health outcomes across the life course, with particular emphasis on same-sex vs. different-sex couples, racial disparities in family member deaths, and the long-term health consequences of parental/child bereavement. Supported by the National Institute on Aging, her work bridges sociology, public health, and social work.
Recent publications highlight trends in epigenetic aging linked to family loss, racial inequities in parental death, and gendered dynamics of marital health. Awards include Fellowships in the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.
She is currently writing a book on parental aging after child death and teaches graduate courses on sociological publishing. Her affiliations include the Population Research Center and CAPS, advancing interdisciplinary research on social determinants of health.
