Dr. Glymour’s research interest is how social factors experienced across the lifecourse, such as educational attainment and work environment, influence health and health inequalities in adulthood and old age. Her research draws on instrumental variables methods and other analytic approaches to distinguish causal effects from non-causal correlations, especially in studies of social determinants of health. Such distinctions are critical to translate observational research into effective population health interventions. She has used genetic instrumental variables (in Mendelian Randomization studies) as well as policy discontinuities to evaluate long term health effects of modifiable social or behavioral risk factors.