Research interests
Background:
Bruce G. Link is Professor of Epidemiology and Sociomedical Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University and Research Scientist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Link received his Ph.D. in Sociology from Columbia University in 1980 and received further training in Epidemiology and Biostatistics through National Institute of Mental Health sponsored pre and postdoctoral fellowships at the Mailman School of Public Health.
Dr. Link's research career has focused on how and under what conditions social and economic inequalities are translated into health disparities. Under this broad umbrella Dr. Link has examined numerous issues in social and psychiatric epidemiology from a sociological perspective. His research has examined the mental health consequences of stressful occupational conditions, the prevalence of homelessness in the United States, the connection between mental illnesses and violent behaviors, the impact of social stigma on the lives of people with mental illnesses and their families, and social conditions as "fundamental causes" of health inequalities. Currently Dr. Link is pursuing three major lines of research. The first focuses on the role of psychotic symptoms in violent behaviors. This research seeks to determine whether and under what conditions people act in response to delusional beliefs and respond to command hallucinations in such a way as to produce violent behaviors. The goal of this research is to inform policy as to the best approach to controlling violence amongst people with mental illnesses. A second line of research seeks to understand the sources and consequences of the social stigma associated with mental illnesses. Here he seeks to understand how and under what conditions negative stereotypes about people with mental illnesses are translated into discriminatory outcomes that harm people with mental illnesses and their families. A third line of research seeks to understand why the connection between socioeconomic status and health is so commonly observed. In this area of interest Dr. Link seeks to test the "fundamental cause" thesis that says that SES-related assets of knowledge, money, power, prestige and beneficial social connections are flexible resources that allow people to gain a health advantage in diverse circumstances.
Dr. Link's career has also focused on training new generations of scholars. Over the past two decades he has contributed to the success Psychiatric Epidemiology Program at Columbia by serving as Training Co-ordinator, Co_Director and since 1997 as Director. This program has trained over 130 pre and postdoctoral fellows in the principles of psychiatric epidemiology and is the longest running program of its kind in the United States. More recently Dr. Link collaborated with colleagues at Columbia to secure a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson to establish a Health and Society Scholars postdoctoral training program. This new innovative program is designed to train future leaders in the area of population health.
Dr. Link received his BA from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. He is the recipient of the Leonard Pearlin Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Sociology of Mental Health and is a member of the Institute Of Medicine.
