Biography

Elizabeth Lawrence is an expert on the trends, causes, and consequences of social inequality, with a particular focus on health disparities by educational attainment. 

Her research examines the social origins of both educational and health inequalities in order to better understand why more educated individuals lead longer and healthier lives. She has also studied the socioeconomic disparities in child health and mortality, social patterns in adolescent vaping, and the educational differences in health behaviors across the transition to adulthood. 

Prior to joining UNLV, Lawrence earned her Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Colorado Boulder. Most recently, she completed her postdoctoral fellowship in the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Her research has been published in Maternal and Child Health Journal, the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Social Science & Medicine, and Demography, among others.