Viktoryia Kalesnikava

Lead Statistician, Aging, Transitions over the Lifespan, and Suicide (ATLAS) Study

Education

PhD, Epidemiologic sciences, University of Michigan, 2022

MSW/MPH, Social Work and Public Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017

MA, Anthropology, University of Virginia, 2010.

BA, Philosophy, Cabrini College, 2006.

Research Interests

• Social determinants of health and aging
• Chronic psychosocial stress and metabolic disease
• Suicide and suicide prevention
• Cognitive health 
• Causal inference and mixed methods in epidemiology 

My research focuses on the influence of various social factors (i.e., socioeconomic status, life transitions, social & physical environment, etc.) on the physical and mental health across the lifespan. My dissertation research examines how stress contributes to widening health disparities in cardiometabolic health, especially in relation to differences by SES and ethnic origin. In my dissertation, I integrate insights from leading stress theories and test the relations between self-reported stress measures and stress biomarkers within uniquely positioned epidemiologic sources of data. 

What do you like to do outside work/school?

I spend my spare time with my family — hiking and traveling, cooking together and playing games. I also enjoy running and practicing yoga.