Blake Powell

Graduate Student

Blake is second-year Sociology Ph.D. Student at Vanderbilt University. His research focuses on the social determinants of health and health disparities throughout the life course, with a particular interest in mental health, chronic disease, and the roles of policy contexts and social networks. One line of his research explores how U.S. State policy contexts shape mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. In another line of research, Blake examines how state policies impact social networks, family structures, and the experience of chronic disease. Prior to joining Vanderbilt, Blake earned his bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Tulane University.