Aparna AnanthasubramaniamAnna Julia Cooper Postdoctoral Fellowshe/her/hers

I am a computational social scientist and social worker. My interdisciplinary research combines computational, quantitative, and qualitative methods to examine how household-level economic outcomes are related to social and health outcomes and how contextual factors like social networks, recessions, and policies shape these associations. My research has particularly focused on housing loss, financial well-being of low-income families, mental health, social policy, and the spread of behaviors in social networks. Some of my work uses tools from data science to conduct secondary analyses of administrative or trace datasets. I frequently work with researchers across disciplines and with community partners to identify research questions where these sorts of datasets may bring unique value.

My research agenda is grounded in over a decade of interpersonal practice and operational work experience in homeless and nonprofit financial services, including serving as the research and development director at financial services nonprofit Mission Asset Fund, and co-founding and serving as program director of two homeless shelters at Heart and Home Collaborative. I still work with these organizations, and my ongoing social sector experience has been critical in shaping my evolving scholarship.

Selected Publications

Ananthasubramaniam, A., Jurgens, D., Kahsay, E., & Mezuk, B. (2024). Retirement-Related Suicide during the Great Recession: Perspectives from the National Violent Death Reporting System. The Gerontologist, 64(6).

Ananthasubramaniam, A., Jurgens, D., & Romero, D. M. (2024). Networks and Identity Drive Geographical Properties of the Diffusion of Linguistic Innovation. npj Complexity, 1(14).

For a full list of publications, see Ananthasubramaniam’s CV.