Faculty Profile

BIO

Viktoryia Kalesnikava is a Research Investigator at the Research Center for Group Dynamics (RCGD) in the Institute for Social Research, and a Research Area Lead at the Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health in the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health.

Her research examines how structural and socioeconomic disadvantage across the life course shapes aging trajectories, with a particular focus on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well as cardiometabolic conditions like diabetes. Currently, her work spans five key areas: 1. mental health and quality of life among adults with chronic illnesses and their caregivers; 2. life course social determinants of health; 3. improving patient and participant safety in clinical and behavioral research (e.g., management of psychological adverse events); 4. data science approaches to understanding suicide risk; and 5. examining healthcare access, quality, and outcomes for older adults using CMS claims data (e.g., impact of Medicare and Medicaid policies on mental health outcomes). Through interdisciplinary collaboration with researchers across the School of Information and Michigan Medicine and by using data science and translational approaches, her work contributes to efforts to promote healthy aging, support psychosocial well-being across diverse populations, and strengthen clinical and research infrastructure.