Assistant Professor
School of Education | Department of Kinesiology
Hometown: Princeton, NJ
Dr. Allen is an assistant professor at UW-Madison and director of the Stress and Health Disparities Lab. Her research investigates how exposure to chronic stressors (e.g., ageism, discrimination, race and gender expectations, adverse life events) affects behavior, biology, psychosocial factors, and subsequent health among older US adults. Her work emphasizes the health implications of ageism, Black-White health disparities, and cardiometabolic health outcomes. The underlying motivation for this work is to inform innovative community, societal, and policy changes to promote health and reduce health disparities among the older adult population.
Talks:
Ageism is no joke: it’s harmful for health
Age-based stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination (i.e., ageism) are linked to a wide range of poor mental and physical health outcomes. Ageism affects health in multiple ways including leading to poor quality healthcare, negative interpersonal interactions, and as a source of chronic stress.