Patti Thomas is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Faculty Associate at the Center on Aging and the Life Course at Purdue University. Her scholarly agenda closely aligns with CAF’s research theme on aging family health. She examines the impact of family relationships (such as parental affection in early life, and social support and strain in relationships between spouses and with adult children) on later-life health and well-being. She also examines health disparities in later-life by social position, aligning with the CAF theme on health disparities in aging families. She is a Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Fellow and the 2025-2026 Chair of the Section on Aging and the Life Course of the American Sociological Association.
