Thomas Leopold

Thomas Leopold is a Full Professor (W3) at the Institute for Sociology and Social Psychology, University of Cologne, within the Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences (WiSo-Fakultät). His work bridges empirical social research with comparative studies of inequality, family dynamics, and health outcomes across life courses.

• PhD (Dr. rer. pol.), University of Bamberg, 2012
• MA in Sociology, University of Bamberg, 2008

Leopold’s research integrates social demography, quantitative methodology, and family sociology. He investigates life course inequalities, health stratification, and gender dynamics in domestic labor, employing advanced statistical techniques for longitudinal and comparative analyses.

His publications reveal trends in gender equity in housework, post-divorce vulnerability patterns, family health transmission mechanisms, and life course transitions. Articles frequently apply cohort sequence designs, mediation analysis, and matching methods to address causal social processes.

• Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellowship, European University Institute (2012–2013)

He leads the ERC-funded KINMATRIX project (2020–2025) on European family solidarity structures and co-investigates cross-national life course inequality frameworks like CRITEVENTS and EQUALLIVES. His work appears in top journals including Demography, Journal of Marriage and Family, and Sociological Science.