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Jenifer Hamil Luker

Associate Professor of the Practice of Sociology
Sociology
Box 90088, Durham, NC 27708-0088
272 Reuben-Cooke Bldg, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Jenifer Hamil-Luker is Associate Professor of the Practice of Sociology, where she directs the undergraduate studies program.  As a dedicated instructor and mentor, Dr. Hamil-Luker teaches courses on health and the U.S. criminal justice system.  Her team-based, project-oriented classes prioritize the application of knowledge to real-world problems and centering the needs of diverse learners in vibrant, welcoming spaces.  Dr. Hamil-Luker’s research explores how experiences in earlier life shape trajectories of health over time and in different historic contexts.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor of the Practice of Sociology · 2022 - Present Sociology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences

In the News


Published March 17, 2025
Putting Sociology to Practice in Class

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Recent Publications


Black/white differences in the relationship between debt and risk of heart attack across cohorts.

Journal Article SSM - population health · June 2023 BackgroundNumerous studies show that increasing levels of education, income, assets, and occupational status are linked to greater improvements in White adults' health than Black adults'. Research has yet to determine, however, whether there are r ... Full text Open Access Cite

Landfall After the Perfect Storm: Cohort Differences in the Relationship Between Debt and Risk of Heart Attack.

Journal Article Demography · December 2020 Analyses of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) between 1992 and 2014 compare the relationship between different levels and forms of debt and heart attack risk trajectories across four cohorts. Although all cohorts experienced growing household debt, inc ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Childhood Exposures and Adulthood Cardiovascular Disease

FellowshipPI-Fellow · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2006 - 2007

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Education, Training & Certifications


University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill · 2003 Ph.D.