William Cockerham

William Cockerham is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Chair Emeritus at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Research Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Maryland, College Park. He maintains additional affiliation with the Obesity Health Disparities Research Center in the Division of Preventive Medicine at UAB's Heersink School of Medicine. Previously, he served as President of the Research Committee on Health Sociology of the International Sociological Association (2006-2010) and held editorial roles for numerous academic journals.

His research expertise spans medical sociology, health disparities, and social determinants of health, with specific focus areas including mental health, obesity research, and societal impacts of health crises like COVID-19. His scholarly contributions emphasize structural influences on health outcomes across diverse populations.

He has authored foundational texts such as Medical Sociology (15th ed., 2022), Social Causes of Health and Disease (3rd ed., 2021), and The COVID-19 Reader (2021). Currently, he serves as editor-in-chief for the forthcoming Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Health, Illness, Behavior, and Society (2nd ed.).

Professional Leadership:

• President, Research Committee on Health Sociology (International Sociological Association), 2006-2010
• Editorial Board Member: American Sociological Review, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Society and Mental Health, Social Currents, Current Sociology Monographs, Social Science Quarterly