University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Mathematics & StatisticsFamily Dynamics Research Lab
Thomas Fraser Crossley · Ann Arbor, Michigan
Research Focus
Dr. Thomas Fraser Crossley's research lab at the University of Michigan focuses on understanding family dynamics and how they influence child development and wellbeing over generations. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), the lab investigates areas such as fertility, contraception, and education in the context of societal changes including impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic. The goal is to provide valuable insights into the complexities of familial relationships and social policies that affect families in the U.S.
family dynamicsfertilitycontraceptionchild developmentlongitudinal studiessocial behaviorCovid-19 impactdata collection
Research Aims
5AIM 01Collect data on family dynamics, fertility, and education for the 2023 round of PSID.
AIM 02Enhance information on fertility intentions and contraceptive use.
AIM 03Clean and distribute new data to users through the PSID Online Data Center.
AIM 04Support new research initiatives through a small grant competition.
AIM 05Investigate the effects of Covid-19 on family dynamics and child development.
Skills the Lab Values
data analysisstatistical modelinglongitudinal survey designdata managementdemographic researchpublic health researchsoftware for data visualization (e.g., R, Python)research communicationoutreach to research communities
Output against the department
Publications259top 44% of dept.57th of 131
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations5.5kbottom 40% of dept.78th of 131
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.