Ruijia Chen, ScD
Postdoctoral Associate
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Epidemiology




I am a social epidemiologist by training. My research focuses on how social determinants across the life course contribute to risk and disparities associated with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia as well as how population-level policies shape these disparities. Additionally, I am interested in investigating methodological challenges that affect our understanding of social determinants of cognitive health outcomes. I received my master's degree in social policy from the University of Pennsylvania and my doctoral degree in Social Epidemiology from Harvard University. More information about my current research can be found at: https://www.ruijiachen.com/


Social isolation and dementia risk: cross-national and temporal comparison
11/01/2024 - 10/31/2027 (PI)
Alzheimer's Association


Bridging Social Epidemiology and Policy for ADRD Prevention: Effects of Poverty Alleviation Policies on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Risk and Disparities
05/01/2025 - 04/30/2027 (PI)
NIH/National Institute on Aging
1K99AG088369-01A1

Life Course Center for the Demography and Economics of Aging
07/01/2024 - 06/30/2025 (Multi-PI)
PI: Ruijia Chen, ScD
Regents of the University of Minnesota NIH NIA
3P30AG066613-05S1

Lifecourse Stressors and Social Disparities in Cognitive Aging: The Roles of Social Networks and Sleep Disturbance
09/03/2023 - 04/30/2025 (PI)
NIH/National Institute on Aging
5K00AG068431-06



Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2025 Bridging Social Epidemiology and Policy for ADRD Prevention: Effects of Poverty Alleviation Policies on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Risk and Disparities 1K99AG088369-01A1
2024 Lifecourse Stressors and Social Disparities in Cognitive Aging: The Roles of Social Networks and Sleep Disturbance 5K00AG068431-06
2023 Lifecourse Stressors and Social Disparities in Cognitive Aging: The Roles of Social Networks and Sleep Disturbance 7K00AG068431-05
2023 Lifecourse Stressors and Social Disparities in Cognitive Aging: The Roles of Social Networks and Sleep Disturbance 5K00AG068431-04
2022 Lifecourse Stressors and Social Disparities in Cognitive Aging: The Roles of Social Networks and Sleep Disturbance 5K00AG068431-03
2021 Lifecourse Stressors and Social Disparities in Cognitive Aging: The Roles of Social Networks and Sleep Disturbance 4K00AG068431-02
2020 Lifecourse Stressors and Social Disparities in Cognitive Aging: The Roles of Social Networks and Sleep Disturbance 1F99AG068431-01

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

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  1. Chen R, Lee H, Wang J, Yang Y, S Okuzono S, Nishimi K, Kobayashi L, Glymour MM, Kubzansky LD. Independent and Joint Associations of Key Social Exposome Components with Cognitive Aging: Triangulating Evidence Through Cross-National Data. Am J Epidemiol. 2025 Aug 29.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40878756; DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwaf189;
     
  2. Zimmerman SC, Chen R, Thoma M, Pacca L, Hebert J, Riley A, Kim MH, Pederson A, Yang Y, Buto P, Brenowitz WD, Glymour MM, Kotwal A, Torres JM. The Association of Alzheimer's Disease Genetic Risk with Social Connectedness in Middle- And Older-Ages. Am J Epidemiol. 2025 Jun 11.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40512627; DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwaf122;
     
  3. Lee HH, Chen R, Okuzono SS, Kubzansky LD. Loneliness and cardiovascular disease incidence: two cohorts of older adults in the USA and South Korea. Int J Epidemiol. 2025 Apr 12; 54(3). PMID: 40338528; DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyaf050;
     
  4. Ferguson EL, Mehta S, Miramontes S, Choi M, Kim YJ, Hill-Jarrett TG, Cevallos N, Yang Y, Zimmerman SC, Chen R, Kim MH, Sims KD, Schwartz GL. Identifying and Addressing Housing Insecurity in Older Patients: Trends, Referrals, and Inequities in a California Medical System. Gerontologist. 2025 Apr 09; 65(5).View Related Profiles. PMID: 40222811; DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnaf027;
     
  5. Wang J, Choi M, Buto P, Kelly JD, La Joie R, Kornak J, Zimmerman SC, Chen R, Raphael E, Schaefer CA, Blacker D, Glymour MM. Detection Bias in EHR-Based Research on Clinical Exposures and Dementia. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Apr 01; 8(4):e256637.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40266617; DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.6637;
     
  6. Hayes-Larson E, Andrews RM, Kezios KL, Bercu A, Rouanet A, Helmer C, Crane PK, Gibbons LE, Klinedinst BS, McEvoy LK, Nichols E, Weuve J, Rajan KB, Hwang PH, Mez J, Farina M, Shaw C, Sims KD, Therneau T, Petersen RC, Bouteloup V, Gross AL, Albert M, Morris JC, Masters CL, Resnick SM, Maruff P, Manly JJ, Turney IC, Vonk JMJ, Avila-Rieger J, Weigand A, Chen R, Wang J, Proust-Lima C, Mayeda ER. Approaches to Timescale Choice in Cognitive Aging Research and Potential Implications for Estimated Exposure Effects: Coordinated Analyses in 10 Cohorts of Older Adults. Epidemiology. 2025 Jul 01; 36(4):560-571.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40164562; DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001859;
     
  7. Adrien TV, Hirst AK, Turney IC, Peterson RL, Zahodne LB, Chen R, Crane PK, Levy SA, Andrews RM, Mayeda ER, Whitmer RA, Gilsanz P, Jackson JW, Hayes-Larson E. Parental Education, Midlife Hypertension, and Disparities in Late-Life Cognitive Test Scores: Application of an Equity-Focused Causal Decomposition Approach. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2025 Jan-Mar 01; 39(1):1-7. PMID: 39927472; DOI: 10.1097/WAD.0000000000000662;
     
  8. Ackley SF, Wang J, Chen R, Hill-Jarrett TG, Rojas-Saunero LP, Stokes A, Shah SJ, Glymour MM. Methods to crosswalk between cognitive test scores using data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Cohort. Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Feb; 21(2):e14597.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40000573; DOI: 10.1002/alz.14597;
     
  9. Kim MH, Miramontes S, Mehta S, Schwartz GL, Kim YJ, Yang Y, Hill-Jarrett TG, Cevallos N, Chen R, Glymour MM, Ferguson EL, Zimmerman SC, Choi M, Sims KD. Extracting Housing and Food Insecurity Information From Clinical Notes Using cTAKES. Health Serv Res. 2025 May; 60 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):e14440.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39871689; DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.14440;
     
  10. Chen R, Byrd DR, Whitfield KE, Williams DR. Associations of Major Lifetime and Everyday Discrimination with Cognitive Function among Middle-Aged and Older Adults. Ethn Dis. 2024 Aug; 34(3):137-144. PMID: 39211820; DOI: 10.18865/EthnDis-2023-42;
     
Showing 10 of 59 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 59 publications over 12 distinct years, with a maximum of 12 publications in 2023

YearPublications
20121
20149
20153
20161
20181
20192
20203
20212
202210
202312
20246
20259

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2021-2025 National Institute on Aging: K00AG068431
2020-2021 National Institute on Aging: F99AG068431
In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

Aging, Cognitive
social epidemiology
lifecourse epidemiology
health disparities
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