Megan Gilligan

Megan Gilligan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development & Family Science at the University of Missouri’s College of Education & Human Development. She holds a Dual-Title Ph.D. in Sociology and Gerontology from Purdue University (2013). Her research focuses on family relationships and well-being in later life, particularly parent-adult child dynamics, sibling relationships, and caregiving. She leads the Families in Later Life Lab and is Principal Investigator on a National Institute on Aging K01 award studying sibling relations’ impact on dementia caregivers. Her work has been published in top journals like Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences and widely covered in media such as the New York Times.

Education: Dual-Title Ph.D. in Sociology and Gerontology (Purdue University, 2013).

Research Interests: Dr. Gilligan explores how family systems influence aging outcomes through lenses of favoritism, caregiving stress, and digital communication. Notable themes include maternal differential treatment effects, sibling ambivalence, and race/gender disparities in caregiving burden. Her lab emphasizes translating research into interventions addressing within-family differences.

Awards: Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA).

Grants & Advising: Currently leads a NIH-funded study on caregiving siblings. Advises students through the Human Development & Family Science program. Media engagement includes over 100 features explaining family dynamics in aging contexts.

Labs/Teams: Director of the Families in Later Life Lab, collaborating on the Within-Families Differences Study. Engaged with GSA and interdisciplinary aging research networks.