Edith Chen, PhD - Socioeconomic Disparities in Health: Costs of Upward Mobility?

Abstract:

Health disparities by socioeconomic status (SES) have been extensively documented, but less is known about the physical health implications of achieving upward mobility.  This talk will address the effects of upward mobility on health in youth, including the conditions under which mobility can come at a cost.  The talk will also discuss several potential psychosocial explanations, and the behavioral and physiological pathways by which upward mobility may come to impact physical health.

About Speaker:

Edith Chen, PhD
Professor
Northwestern University

Edith Chen is the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University, and a Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Policy Research.  She received her B.A. from Harvard in history of science, and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from UCLA.  Prior to her position at Northwestern, she was the Canada Research Chair in Health and Society at the University of British Columbia.  Her own research and her research collaborations have been funded by NICHD, NHLBI, NIDA, NIMH, and NIAAA.  Dr. Chen has received a number of awards for her research on poverty and child health, including the American Psychological Association Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Health Psychology, the Society of Pediatric Psychology Donald K. Routh Early Career Award, and the Society of Behavioral Medicine Young Investigator Award.