معرفی
Jenifer Hamil-Luker is an Associate Professor of the Practice of Sociology at Duke University’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, where she directs the undergraduate studies program. Her research focuses on how early life experiences shape health outcomes, particularly exploring racial disparities in health linked to debt and socioeconomic conditions. She also examines cohort differences in cardiovascular disease risk and the lifelong impacts of childhood adversity.
Dr. Hamil-Luker’s teaching emphasizes applied sociology, with courses on health inequities, the U.S. criminal justice system, mental health sociology, and drug use patterns. Her pedagogical approach prioritizes collaborative, project-based learning and inclusivity. Notable courses include Just Laws: Inequalities in the U.S. Legal System and From Madness to Mental Disorders: Sociology of Mental Health.
Her research has been supported by grants such as the Childhood Exposures and Adulthood Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship (NIH, 2006–2007). Recent publications include studies on debt’s impact on heart attack risk across racial cohorts and analyses of public assistance trajectories among female high school dropouts.
In addition to her academic roles, she has held prior positions including Assistant Professor of the Practice (2015–2022), Visiting Assistant Professor (2005–2007), and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Sociology (2020–2021). Her work has been highlighted in media, including a 2025 article on Putting Sociology to Practice in Class.
