University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Social ScienceLongitudinal Health Transitions Lab
Robert A Hummer · Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Research Focus
Dr. Robert A. Hummer's lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill focuses on the long-term health and well-being of Americans as they transition from adolescence to adulthood. The lab conducts comprehensive research using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, following a large group of adolescents over several decades. By examining various social, economic, and biological factors, the lab aims to understand health disparities and the factors that influence health outcomes as individuals enter midlife.
longitudinal studyhealth disparitiesadolescent healthsocial determinants of healthbiological markersagingsocioeconomic statushealth trajectoriesbehavioral healthmidlife transition
Research Aims
5AIM 01Re-interview cohort members to ensure diverse representation.
AIM 02Enrich the study content to better understand health trajectories in midlife.
AIM 03Conduct in-home health exams for consenting cohort members.
AIM 04Analyze biological specimens for health markers.
AIM 05Disseminate and archive data to support further research.
Skills the Lab Values
data collectionstatistical analysissurvey designdata cleaningbiological sample analysisepigeneticscognitive assessmentsparticipant interviewsprogramming in Rdata archiving
Output against the department
Publications253top 23% of dept.18th of 77
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations13ktop 19% of dept.15th of 77
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.