Zheng Lian
Graduate Student
Noah is a second-year Sociology Ph.D. student at Vanderbilt University. He is affiliated with the Center for Research on Inequality and Health (CRIH) and the Lifespan Lab. Using quantitative methods, his research focuses on health disparities, aging, and end-of-life issues. Prior to joining Vanderbilt, Noah earned his bachelor’s degree from Emory University, where he graduated with highest honors in Sociology and received the Sara Smith Sutker and Solomon Sutker Award.
In a recently published article, Noah examines how later-life friendships shape older adults’ engagement in advance care planning; this work received the ESPO–Interdisciplinary Paper Award (2025) from the Gerontological Society of America. He is currently collaborating with Dr. Lucie Kalousová on a cross-national study examining socioeconomic status–based disparities in end-of-life well-being. Noah also serves as an Associate Editor for Work and Occupations and is involved in expanding the social media presence of the Medical Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association. Beyond research and professional service, he is an avid tennis player, runner, and musical theatre fan.
Representative Publications
Representative Publication
Lian, Z., & Kalousová, L. (2026). Later-life friendship in advance care planning: Variation by marital status and gender. Research on Aging, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/01640275251414992
Ross, C., Ratangee, B., Schuler, E., Lian, Z., Damul, B., Carr, D., & Kalousová, L. (2025). Black and White older adults’ end-of-life experiences: Does hospice use mitigate racial disparities? The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 80(10), gbaf137. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaf137