SNAIL
Social Networks and Inequalities Lab (SNAIL)
The Social Networks and Inequalities Lab (SNAIL) examines social networks, social relationships, and inequalities. Social networks are the webs of social relationships linking individuals directly and indirectly. Social relationships manifest in various forms across different life domains (e.g., romantic, family, kin, friend, work, and offline/online).
Our research centers on three main themes: the role of social networks in health and well-being disparities, their contribution to social inequalities, and the influence of social forces upon them.
At SNAIL, we foster a supportive network. We fearlessly advance theories, hypotheses, and research questions, scrutinizing them with the same deliberate and unwavering determination as snails, advancing courageously and patiently.
National Study of Older Never-Married Adults (NSONMA)
Dr. Lijun Song is leading an NIH-funded R56 project to design and conduct the first-ever nationally representative pilot survey of older never-married adults. The study focuses on social networks, experiences of never-marriage, and health in later life.
Funding
| 2024-26 | PI: Lijun Song. National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institutes of Health (NIH). “National Study of Older Never-Married Adults” (NSONMA). R56AG089170. ($1,359,657). Co-Investigators: Deborah Carr (Boston University); Qingxia Chen (Vanderbilt University Medical Center); Tara McKay (Vanderbilt University); Siyun Peng (University of South Florida); Brea L. Perry (Indiana University–Bloomington). |
| 2024-26 | PI: Lijun Song. Scaling Success Grant. Vanderbilt University. “National Study of Older Never-Married Adults” (NSONMA). ($76,321). |
Pending Grant Proposal (Under Review)
| 2026-31 | PI: Lijun Song. NIA, NIH. “National Study of Older Never-Married Adults” (NSONMA). R01 proposal to conduct the first-ever nationally representative two-wave longitudinal survey of older never-married adults. ($5,143,585). Co-Investigators: Deborah Carr (Boston University); Qingxia Chen (Vanderbilt University Medical Center); Tara McKay (Vanderbilt University); Siyun Peng (University of South Florida); Brea L. Perry (Indiana University–Bloomington). |
Research Team
Principal Investigator
Lijun Song, Vanderbilt University
Co-Investigators
Deborah Carr, Boston University
Qingxia Chen, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Tara McKay, Vanderbilt University
Siyun Peng, University of South Florida
Brea L. Perry, Indiana University–Bloomington
Research Personnel
Leping Wang, Postdoctoral Researcher
Zhe Zhang, Graduate Research Assistant
Former Trainees of SNAIL
Post-doctoral Fellows: Marva Goodson-Miller (Placement: Assistant Professor at Arizona State University)
Graduate Students: Yvonne Chen (Placement: Assistant Professor at Texas Christian University), Philip J. Pettis (Placement: Assistant Professor at Michigan State University)
Undergraduate Students: Kerou Cheng, Yiwei Wang
(Image Source: https://imgur.com/gallery/hwYy3wE)