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NextGenPop is an undergraduate pipeline program in population research that aims to increase the diversity of the population field and nurture the next generation of population scientists. It is funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health (R25 HD105602). In June 2024, DUPRI hosted the the 3rd NextGenPop cohort of 21 fellows from 19 universities across the nation for a 2-week, in-person, on-campus summer experience. The fellows also received funding to attend the Population Association of America (PAA) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC from April 10-13. This unique opportunity allowed the fellows to meet population scientists, attend panels, and learn about career paths available to them. Half the fellows had their own original work accepted and presented posters throughout the weekend. Below we summarize their work.

America has a complex history on migration and the role immigrants play in economic development. In the Sanford School’s Policy 360 podcast, Hannah Postel discusses the cycles of migrations, deportations and legal restrictions that mark that history.

From interviewing developers to following people desperate for housing, Ph.D. student Warren Lowell is immersed in housing policy. In a Sanford School podcast, Lowell shares what he’s learned about the obstacles and solutions to addressing housing challenges.

Every year, scholars and students from DUPRI present research papers, prepare professional posters, and serve as panel discussants at Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America. This year's PAA Annual Meeting will take place in Washington, DC from April 10-13. Below is a list of all DUPRI scholars and students participating in PAA sessions. You can also download the list of sessions here.

Dementia currently affects some 6 million people in the U.S. and over 40 million worldwide. As the population ages, it has been projected that dementia cases will double in the next 30 years. With baby boomers reaching over 70 million people in the United States, it seems logical that many people of this generation will be affected by dementia. But what does the data actually show? In their article, “Changing Story of the Dementia Epidemic,” published in the March 12, 2025 issue of JAMA, Duke University researchers, P.J. Eric Stallard, ASA, MAAA, FCA, Svetlana V. Ukraintseva, PhD, and Murali Doraiswamy, MBBS, FRCP, point out a crucial error in prior estimates.

Duke was selected as the new editorial home of Demography, the flagship journal of the Population Association of America, for the next three years starting on July 1, 2025. DUPRI’s Hedy Lee (Sociology), M. Giovanna Merli (Public Policy and Sociology) and Marcos A. Rangel (Public Policy and Economics) will be the Lead (co)Editors. They will be joined by a multi-disciplinary team of Deputy Editors including DUPRI’s Christina Gibson-Davis, Scott Lynch, Jim Moody, Bill Pan, and Chris Wildeman, along with colleagues from many other institutions and population research centers in the US and around the world.

A new article recently published in the journal Children and Youth Services Review by DUPRI Scholars Christina Gibson-Davis, Lisa Keister, and Lisa Gennetian examines the disparate impact of net worth poverty on Black and White children's academic and behavioral outcomes.

Recent work by DUPRI Scholars within the Biodemography of Aging Unit (BARU)—including Igor Akushevich, Konstantin Arbeev, Eric Stallard, Svetlana Ukraintseva, Anatoliy Yashin, and Arseniy Yashkin—examines the complex interplay between infections, vaccinations, genetics, and cognitive decline, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias, in older adults.

A new study published in the journal Demography by DUPRI Scholar Jen'nan Read and DUPRI graduate student Fatima Fairfax uses data from the National Health Interview Survey (2000–2018) to disaggregate non-Hispanic Whites by nativity status (U.S.- and foreign-born) and foreign-born region of birth (Europe, Former Soviet Union, and the Middle East) to examine diversity in health among adults aged 30+.