People
Seoyoun Kim
Research Associate Professor, Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research and Faculty Associate, Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research
Research Interests:
Dr. Seoyoun Kim is affiliated with ICPSR and the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, and is the director of the NACDA Program on Aging.
She holds a dual-title PhD in Sociology and Gerontology from Purdue University. Her research lies at the intersection of social gerontology, epidemiology, multi-omics, and cardiovascular health.
Seoyoun Kim explores how social and environmental factors shape health outcomes, particularly in aging populations. She examines the impact of paid and unpaid productive engagement on the well-being of older adults, shedding light on the social determinants of health in later life. Her research also integrates multi-omics approaches to unravel the complex interactions between genetic, epigenetic, and environmental influences on health and aging.
Select Publications
- Seoyoun Kim, Halvorsen, Cal, Potter, Claire, Faul,Jessica Danielle. 2025. Does volunteering reduce epigenetic age acceleration among retired and working older adults? Results from the Health and Retirement Study. Social Science & Medicine 364:117501.
- Seoyoun Kim, Cal Halvorsen, Sae Hwang Han. 2023. Volunteering and Changes in Cardiovascular Biomarkers: Longitudinal Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study. Innovation in Aging 7(5)
- Seoyoun Kim, Halvorsen, Cal J.. 2021. Volunteering as an Equalizer: A Quasi-Experimental Study Using Propensity Score Analysis. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 61(5):628-635.
- Watt, Toni, Seoyoun Kim. 2019. Race/ethnicity and foster youth outcomes: An examination of disproportionality using the national youth in transition database. Children and Youth Services Review 102:251-258.
- Jung, Seung Eun, Seoyoun Kim, Bishop, Alex, Hermann, Janice. 2019. Poor Nutritional Status among Low-Income Older Adults: Examining the Interconnection between Self-Care Capacity, Food Insecurity, and Depression. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 119(10):1687-1694.
- Ferraro, Kenneth F., Seoyoun Kim. 2014. Health benefits of religion among Black and White older adults? Race, religiosity, and C-reactive protein. Social Science & Medicine 120:92-99.