Regular Ph.D. Fellow, Cohort 2014

Research Interests

• Health inequality
• Welfare states
• Systematic review and meta-analysis
• Reproducible research

Job
BIGSSS Senior Coordinator of the Deans' Office

Service areas

• Internal organization, processes & management 
• Event management
• Public relations (PR material)
• Social media & newsletter

Dissertation topic
The Varieties of Health Inequality. An Interdisciplinary Approach to The Fundamental and Artificial Conditions of Social Inequalities in Health across Welfare States.

Dissertation abstract
In my dissertation I am focusing on health inequalities, that are social differences in health. I explore the extent to which OECD countries differ in their levels of health inequality and the role of structure for country-level variationi n health inequalities. For the latter part, I am integrating theoretical sociological and epidemiological approaches to (health) inequality with a special emphasis on the welfare regime approach. In my dissertation I am focusing on health inequalities, that are social differences in health and the role of structure for country-level variationi n health inequalities. I explore the extent to which OECD countries differ in their levels of health inequality on the basis of already existing research. In a first step, I am integrating theoretical sociological and epidemiological approaches to (health) inequality with a special emphasis on the welfare regime approach to advance our understanding of health inequalities and elaborate how structure and hwalth inequalities interact. In a second step, I synthesize the current state of comparative, empirical research by using methods of systematic review and meta-analysis. This not only draws a comprehensive and systematic picture of picture of OECD-wide health inequalities but allows me to point out important difference in studies. By drawing on the debate around reproducible research, I discuss on the role of study design and artefacts for the so called “health inequality paradox” which describes a situation in which Scandinavian welfare states report larger health inequalities than Anglo-Saxon or Bismarckian welfare states.

Academic Supervisors
Heinz Rothgang
Olaf Groh-Samberg
Rasmus Hoffmann