Grace Chang

Grace Chang is a fourth-year undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Public Health. Inspired by her upbringing in a multigenerational household and other off-campus involvements, her current research interests surround geriatrics and population health. Under the mentorship of Dr. Benjamin Seligman, Grace is investigating the causal pathways to understand external factors contributing to healthy aging. Specifically, she is studying how the social determinants of health—such as socioeconomic status and social networks—influence the onset of functional limitations in later years. Grace’s work utilizes data from longitudinal cohort studies of older adults, including the Health and Retirement Study, the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, and the Mexican Health and Aging Study. After graduation, she hopes to attend medical school and continue her current research, striving to ultimately serve a local health department as their medical officer.