Patricia Homan Receives the IAPHS Milbank Quarterly Early Career Award in Population Health 

The Milbank Quarterly was pleased to present its Early Career Award in Population Health to Patricia (Trish) Homan, PhD, an associate professor of sociology and director of research and strategic initiatives for the Public Health Program at Florida State University, at the 2024 Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science (IAPHS) Conference in September. 

Homan’s research focuses on developing theory and measurement for structural oppression – such as structural sexism and racism – and understanding how these factors influence population health in the United States. Her interdisciplinary scholarship integrates demography, medical sociology, and population health research. “My training as a sociologist taught me to interrogate systems of power and inequality, and when I began to look at patterns of population health, I was shocked and dismayed to see the extent of health disparities in the US,” Homan said.  

Homan says that her research thus far “points to one key conclusion: structural inequities harm health.” She has used multiple data sets to demonstrate its impact on more than 10 different health outcomes related to chronic conditions, self-rated health, and physical functioning. Her findings suggest that “a more equitable society would also be a healthier society for everyone.”  

Homan says she is thrilled to accept the IAPHS Milbank Quarterly Early Career Award in Population Health. “This award is truly the biggest honor of my professional life,” she says. “I am grateful to my wonderful mentors, collaborators, and students, as well as the Sociology Departments at Princeton, Duke, and Florida State, which have supported my research and made my career possible.” She hopes that the “community of population health scholars can provide sound scientific evidence that will help move us toward and more just and healthy society.”  

Past recipients of the IAPHS Milbank Quarterly Early Career Award in Population Health include Elizabeth Wrigley-Field (2023), Merlin Chowkwanyun (2022), Atheendar Venkataramani (2021), Dustin Duncan (2020), and Jennifer Karas Montez (2019).