Most people over 50 have LGBTQ+ friends or family, but LGBTQ+ people over 50 face more aging-related challenges, poll finds 

University of Michigan team explores connections between non-LGBTQ+ and LGBTQ+ people of all ages, and the health and social experiences of LGBTQ+ people over 50  People over 50 are growing older in a very different environment for LGBTQ+ people than the one they grew up in. Now, a new University of Michigan poll looks at… Continue reading Most people over 50 have LGBTQ+ friends or family, but LGBTQ+ people over 50 face more aging-related challenges, poll finds 

Aging and the immune system

New research untangles massive datasets to build tools, uncover clues on how we age WHAT’S THE STUDY: A team of University of Michigan experts in biostatistics, public health, medical research and population studies has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, to develop advanced statistical and computational… Continue reading Aging and the immune system

International migration drives long-run economic development back home

ANN ARBOR — A common fear about international migration is “brain drain,” that when workers leave for opportunities abroad, their home communities lose out. New research finds the opposite: international migration can be a powerful engine of long-run economic development in the places migrants come from. In “Abundance from Abroad: Migrant Income and Long-Run Economic… Continue reading International migration drives long-run economic development back home

Deaths of white women with no higher education largely driving rising maternal mortality 

Study applies ‘weathering’ concept to tease out America’s persistent public health threat ANN ARBOR—The racial gap in maternal mortality is narrowing, driven largely by  climbing death rates of white women with no more than a high school education and declining rates for college-educated Black women, new research shows. For Black women with less education and… Continue reading Deaths of white women with no higher education largely driving rising maternal mortality 

Family care expectations clash with shrinking availability, dementia needs

ANN ARBOR—Americans believe that the family as a whole—especially a spouse or partner—is responsible for caring for an older adult.  Biological and stepchildren have the next highest levels of obligation, according to a new University of Michigan study. Even though with lighter responsibilities, many believe that lifelong friends also should pitch in.  And when an… Continue reading Family care expectations clash with shrinking availability, dementia needs

Lingering legacy: Brazil’s ‘dictatorship gen’ faces premature aging

ANN ARBOR—Health disparities between Afro-Brazilians and their white peers are most severe in midlife, not old age. Growing up under authoritarian rule put these groups at a greater disadvantage than older generations who experienced early life in more democratic governments. A new University of Michigan study reveals that for many Black (preto) and Brown (pardo) Brazilians, difficulty… Continue reading Lingering legacy: Brazil’s ‘dictatorship gen’ faces premature aging

University of Michigan to lead landmark global mental health survey consortium, expanding to additional countries

The World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Consortium, which harnesses cross-national data to inform and support policies around education, interventions, and treatment, has now moved to the University of Michigan. This new phase is led by William Axinn, inaugural director of U-M’s Institute for Social Research’s (ISR) International Research Hub, and Stephanie Chardoul, director of Survey Research Operations at… Continue reading University of Michigan to lead landmark global mental health survey consortium, expanding to additional countries

Going to PAA 2026? Here’s 5 Things to do in St. Louis.

Demographers may be interested to know that the City of St. Louis (Pop: 301,578) is part of a metropolitan statistical area defined by the US Census Bureau as 15 counties spanning Missouri and Illinois. The metro area is growing in diversity but relatively stagnant in size. And, the Midwestern city will be the site of… Continue reading Going to PAA 2026? Here’s 5 Things to do in St. Louis.

University of Michigan researchers collaborate with Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok

University of Michigan researchers William Axinn and Stephanie Chardoul visited Chulalongkorn University’s College of Population Studies in Bangkok to discuss future collaborations in demographic research and innovations in population data survey methods.  Axinn serves as the director of U-M’s International Research Hub, directs the Ford School’s International Policy Center, and is a research professor in… Continue reading University of Michigan researchers collaborate with Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok

Chitwan Valley Family Study 30th Anniversary

Chitwan Valley Family Study team

The Chitwan Valley Family Study (or CVFS) was launched in 1995 and celebrated its 30th anniversary this year with a series of events in Nepal. The CVFS was originally designed by William Axinn, building on deep roots in both Survey Research Center (SRC) and Population Studies Center (PSC). Axinn was trained in the Family and… Continue reading Chitwan Valley Family Study 30th Anniversary