Sam Arenberg

Sam Arenberg is an Assistant Professor at the University of Houston with a joint appointment in the Department of Economics and the Hobby School of Public Affairs. His research focuses on population health and economic demography, specifically addressing America's critical midlife mortality crisis.

Dr. Arenberg's research interests include:

• Population Health
• Economic Demography
• Mortality Trends
• Labor Market Determinants of Health
• Educational Disparities in Mortality

He investigates the "cohort malaise" phenomenon—an abrupt halt in mortality improvements for Americans born after WWII—demonstrating its pervasiveness across race, sex, and geography while exploring historical roots in childhood mortality trends.

His recent publications analyze:

• The 1947 birth cohort's distinctive mortality signature
• Parallels between historical childhood and contemporary midlife mortality stagnation
• How blue-collar labor markets mediate education-based mortality gaps

Conducted with Nicholas Reynolds and Sam Stripling using U.S. Census Bureau data, these studies reveal systemic drivers of America's health crisis affecting millions.