Zoey Lai
Bio Sketch
I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, and I earned my Ph.D. in Sociology from Michigan State University (MSU) in Summer 2023. My research focuses on racial/ethnic disparities in late-life cognitive health, dementia, and biological aging. Specifically, I investigate: 1) the risk and protective factors for dementia and cognitive decline; 2) racial/ethnic differences in caregiving experiences for persons living with dementia; and 3) the biosocial mechanisms contributing to dementia and accelerated aging in diverse aging populations.
Education
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University
Ph.D. in Sociology from Michigan State University
M.A. in Sociology, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
Research Focus
A major facet of my research investigates the psychosocial mechanisms driving late-life health disparities by race/ethnicity, nativity, and gender.
I use secondary data to study themes related to caregiving network and dementia caregiving. I publish research using nationally representative, longitudinal datasets including the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), and National Study of Caregiving (NSOC).
My next research project, will investigate the biopsychosocial mechanisms linking social adversity to racial/ethnic disparities in cognitive decline, particularly via the pathway of accelerated biological aging.
Areas of Expertise
- Mental/Cognitive Health Disparities
- Social Determinants of Health & Aging
- Stress and Resilience
- Social Relationship/Social Network
- Quantitative Methods
Office Location
233 Knapp Building, 87 East Ferry St., Detroit, MI