Molly Copeland

Molly Copeland is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame. Her research examines social networks and health across the life course using quantitative methods and social network analysis. Her current projects examine how social ties in adolescence relate to mental health, particularly depressive symptoms, self-harm, and health behaviors in ways that differ by gender, relate to prior childhood adversity, and predict subsequent adult health. Other work examines older adult personal networks and mental health spanning the COVID-19 pandemic. Her work has recently been published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Social Networks, Social Forces, Social Science & Medicine, and Journal of Gerontology: Series B. Prior to joining Notre Dame, Molly was an Assistant Professor in Sociology at Michigan State University (2020-2024) and earned her PhD in Sociology from Duke University (2020).