Wen-hua Lai

Department of Sociology Michigan State University
422 Berkey Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824 laiwenhu@msu.edu

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at Michigan State University.

My work broadly contributes to the areas of social determinants of health and health disparities, mental health, health care, and aging issues faced by underserved populations. My current research examines racial/ethnic minorities’ mental and cognitive health (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) using population-based longitudinal and cross-sectional datasets. Specifically, it focuses on the following: 

1. Race/ethnic inequalities in stress exposure and the effect of stressor and protective effects on health disparities. 
2. Socioeconomic, psychosocial, and biological mechanisms that sustain or reduce health inequalities, especially among marginalized and underserved populations. 
3. How the interplay of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) exacerbates health inequalities in ADRD health and caregiving burden.

Biography
ADB in Sociology, Michigan State University   
MA in Sociology, National Taiwan University
B.A. Information and Communication, TamKang University