Graduate Student Yue Zhang is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Georgia. Yue’s research investigates how social processes influence health and aging over the life-course. More specifically, she is interested in the mechanisms through which social events and relationships produce inequality and influence the speed of aging. Her current research focuses on chronic stress and accelerated aging among African Americans. Yue currently works as a research assistant for the Family and Community Health Study (FACHS) under the direction of Dr. Ronald Simons. Utilizing chronic inflammation and epigenetic clocks to assess the speed of biological aging, FACHS data have shown that these biomarkers of aging are influenced by social factors such as economic hardship, neighborhood disadvantage, and racial discrimination. Yue’s work with her research team has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals, including Health Psychology and Journal of Health and Social Behavior. Other Affiliations: Enter the name of department or institution you are affiliated with Research Research Areas: Family, Life Course, and Aging Research Interests: Social Determinants of Health and Aging, Life-Course Approach, Family Studies, Quantitative Research Methods and Statistics Courses Regularly Taught Courses Regularly Taught: SOCI 3610 SOCI 4000
