Liying Luo

Liying Luo, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on quantitative methods, health disparities, aging, and the life course. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology (2015) and an M.S. in Biostatistics (2011), both from the University of Minnesota. Luo is affiliated with the Population Research Institute (PRI) and Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), where she contributes to projects funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Her work examines intergenerational mobility, health inequities, and demographic trends using advanced statistical models like age-period-cohort analysis. Key areas include sleep disparities, obesity trends, and the sociological determinants of health outcomes. She has developed the APCI software package for analyzing age-period-cohort data, widely used in public health and demographic research.

Luo’s recent studies explore cohort variations in substance use, homicide patterns, and mental health stigma. She collaborates with institutions like the Southern Community Cohort Study and integrates intersectional approaches to understand disparities across race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Her methodological contributions bridge sociology and epidemiology, emphasizing policy-relevant insights for health equity.