SC Connecticut News

Researcher Ramina Sotoudeh suggests that genetically predisposed and socially conditioned behaviors may be the cause of certain "bad" habits. Sotoudeh is an Assistant Professor of Sociology in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, with a secondary appointment in Statistics and Data Science.

Sotoudeh's interest in sociology began during her undergraduate studies at NYU Abu Dhabi. Initially enrolled as a brain and cognitive science major, she discovered sociology through general education courses. "I was drawn to sociological thinking. It is something that is directly relevant to the world we experience," she said. "I think the things that contribute to how we make choices and behave can be summarized into three categories: our attributes, our relationships, and larger institutional structures."

Her research combines insights from genetics and social science to explore health behaviors such as smoking and drug use. She emphasizes the interaction between genetic predispositions and environmental factors. “We often think about nurture and nature as being two separate forces... But my work looks at the interaction between them,” Sotoudeh explained.

One of her ongoing projects examines smoking in American high schools, focusing on how anti-smoking policies affect friendships and social groups. These policies can create "relational externalities," which are unintended consequences on social interactions related to smoking behavior.

In her study, Sotoudeh finds that students genetically predisposed to nicotine addiction are more likely to form friendships with other smokers or be shunned by non-smokers. “School smoking policies are disproportionately affecting people for whom it is harder to quit,” she noted.

Sotoudeh also explores the transition to adulthood, highlighting challenges young people face today due to financial dependence on parents amidst a global cost-of-living crisis. Her research aims to identify social predictors of reliance on parental support into adulthood and its impact on life outcomes such as marriage and childrearing.

At Yale, Sotoudeh has been warmly received by both students and colleagues. She values the intellectual liberty afforded by academic work despite balancing teaching responsibilities with her research endeavors.

“I really like academic work, particularly the intellectual liberty it affords,” she concluded.

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