Heidi Hanson

Dr. Hanson is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Public Health and a research associate at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. She is a sociologist and biodemographer. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science and Health, Graduate Certificate in Demography, and MS and PhD in Sociology with a public health empasis at the University of Utah. She has worked as a member of the Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Pedigree and Population Resource group as a computer programmer and research associate.
The goal of her research is to promote healthy aging and longevity by understanding the genetic and environmental determinants of health throughout the life course. Specific areas of research include understanding how environmental influences in utero and early childhood affect later life health, the relationship between fertility and later life health, genetic determinants of longevity, familial predisposition to obesity and the interaction with social and physical environments, and familial, community, and socioeconomic factors affecting health outcomes.