Flavia Andrade

Flavia Andrade is a Professor at the School of Social Work, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, dedicated to advancing understanding of health disparities in aging populations. Her research focuses on older adults across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Latino communities in the United States, utilizing multi-country datasets to identify modifiable factors for equitable health outcomes and improved social support systems.

Her educational background includes:

• BA in Economics and MA in Demography from Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil
• MS in Population Health from University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Ph.D. in Sociology from University of Wisconsin-Madison

Dr. Andrade's research spans aging, health disparities, gerontology, and social epidemiology, examining how demographic, socioeconomic, nutritional, and epidemiological transitions impact health across the life course. She investigates chronic conditions (diabetes, hypertension), quality of life, disability, cognition, mental health, oral health, and life expectancy among vulnerable aging populations, with emphasis on identifying malleable intervention targets.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals consistent focus on cognitive aging in Latino populations, innovative health assessment methods (including portable ultrasound), and socio-technological determinants of health. Her work frequently employs cross-national comparisons between Brazil, Mexico, and the United States, highlighting rural-urban disparities, syndemic interactions, and digital health solutions while addressing structural inequities.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America

Dr. Andrade actively leads international research projects targeting health disparity determinants, though specific grant details aren't provided. Her mentoring role is inherent to her professorship, but no named students appear in available materials. She maintains active collaboration with the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies (CLACS), enhancing binational research initiatives through interdisciplinary frameworks and community engagement.

Her laboratory work centers on portable diagnostic technologies for body composition assessment in aging populations, while her broader team engages in multi-country epidemiological studies examining social determinants of health across the Americas.