Douglas L. Anderton

Dr. Douglas L. Anderton is the Chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of Utah's College of Arts and Sciences. Previously, he served as associate dean for research at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst's College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and directed its Social and Demographic Research Institute.

• BS Economics, University of Utah
• MS Economics, University of Utah
• PhD Sociology, University of Utah

His research bridges social epidemiology, epigenetics, and environmental justice, focusing on how social and environmental factors contribute to epigenetic damage linked to breast cancer risks. Collaborating with Dr. Kathleen Arcaro, he examines biochemical markers in breast milk and tumor-suppressing gene damage in high-risk nursing women, potentially enabling non-invasive diagnostics.

He has received funding from prestigious agencies including the National Science Foundation, NIH, Department of Defense, EPA, and AVON Foundation.

• Fellow of the American Statistical Association
• Elected member of the Sociological Research Association

Dr. Anderton previously taught at the University of Chicago for 6 years before spending 21 years at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He now resides on a farm in Blythewood with his wife, artist Terri Fain, and their two dogs, Rio and Mesa.