Sarah Elizabeth Patterson
Research Assistant Professor, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research
BIO
Dr. Sarah E. Patterson is a Demographer and Sociologist. Currently, she is a Research Assistant Professor at the Survey Research Center and a Faculty Affiliate at the Population Studies Center, both at the University of Michigan. She is working on projects related to families, aging, and caregiving. More broadly, her research addresses whether and how social norms influence attitudes, behaviors, and outcomes related to the family. Her research falls into the following three domains: the demography of aging and the life course; family demography and intergenerational inequality; and, gender inequality at the work/family nexus.
- Sarah Elizabeth Patterson, Wright, Matthew R, Vicki A Freedman. 2026. Cohabitation and unmet care needs in later life. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B
- Sarah Elizabeth Patterson, Kelsi Laura Caywood, Esther M Friedman, Vicki A Freedman. 2026. Beliefs about levels of care responsibility for older adults in need: Differences by relationship and the presence of dementia. Alzheimer's & Dementia: Behavior & Socioeconomics of Aging 2(1):e70066.
- Vicki A Freedman, Sarah Elizabeth Patterson, Jennifer C. Cornman, Jennifer L. Wolff. 2026. Trends In Care Needs Among Older US Adults Diverged By Age, 2011-22. Health Affairs 45(7):790-798.
- Sarah Elizabeth Patterson, Vicki A Freedman. 2025. Family Structure and Unmet Care Needs among Older Adults with and without Dementia in the U.S. The Gerontologist 65(5):gnaf062.
- Adriana M. Reyes, Sarah Elizabeth Patterson. 2025. Dynamics of Family Exchanges: How Life Course Transfers Influence Support From Adult Children. Research on Aging 47(7-8):346-360.
- Reyes, Adriana M, Sarah Elizabeth Patterson. 2025. Latinx Views on the Roles of Families and Government in Long-Term Care. The Gerontologist
- Adriana M. Reyes, Sarah Elizabeth Patterson. 2025. Attitudes Toward Government Supports for Older Adults in the U.S. (1984-2022). Journal of Aging & Social Policy
- Sarah Elizabeth Patterson, Paula Fomby. 2025. Life Course Family Dynamics and Transfers From Children to Biological Parents. Journal of Marriage and Family
- Virginia T Gallagher, Natasha L Nemmers, Yuchen Zhang, Sarah Elizabeth Patterson. 2025. Balancing Acts: Exploring Well‐Being in Sandwiched and Non‐Sandwiched Caregivers. Alzheimer's & Dementia 21:e097629.
- Wu, Huijing, Margolis, Rachel, Verdery, Ashton, Sarah Elizabeth Patterson. 2024. Changes in Family Structure and Increasing Care Gaps in the United States, 2015-2050. Demography 61(5):1403-1426.
