Meet Cosmo Strozza

What are your research interests?

I am interested in health and survival patterns and inequalities in aging populations. My work seeks to understand the causes and consequences of health and survival dynamics at adult and older ages in society. A central component of my research is understanding inequalities, both within and across populations. Specifically, how health disparities emerge, persist, and potentially can be reduced, and what their implications are for both individuals and the broader society. Ultimately, I am keen to learn whether we can ensure that improvements in population health and longevity are shared more equitably across all social groups.

How did you become interested in your field of research?

My interest in health demography reflects a desire to apply rigorous quantitative methods to questions with real societal significance. With a background in statistical sciences, I sought a field where analytical skills could address something that has always fascinated me: population health and longevity. I found in demography the framework for investigating fundamental questions about health, survival, and equity across populations. This intersection of quantitative expertise and societal purpose has shaped my research trajectory and continues to motivate my work on understanding how populations age and whether we can make that process more equitable across all social groups.

What research question would you above all like to find the answer to? And why is that?

The question I would above all like to answer is: Is it truly possible to reduce health inequalities within a population? While populations overall are improving their health and survival, certain groups consistently remain left behind. In this race toward longevity, can we ensure that everyone gets to enjoy the ride? This question matters profoundly because reducing inequalities means reducing uncertainty, both for individuals and for society. When health outcomes become more equitable and predictable across social groups, it becomes easier for policymakers to plan interventions, for healthcare systems to allocate resources effectively, and for societies to build more cohesive and sustainable futures. Understanding whether and how we can narrow these gaps is also essential for ensuring continuous progress in population health.

What impact do you expect the Talent Track will have on your career and your research field?

The Talent Track provides crucial support for advancing my career trajectory and research agenda. My medium- to long-term objective is to become an internationally recognized academic leader in health demography, ultimately qualifying for a tenured professorship at SDU. The Talent Track will be instrumental in achieving my excellence objective for the next three years: securing an elite grant such as the ERC Starting Grant or DFF Sapere Aude. The program offers essential resources for implementing my research plan, including funding for advanced methodological training, research assistance, and international research visits. Equally important, it will connect me with experienced mentors and expand my network of collaborators across institutions and disciplines. By supporting the development of novel approaches to studying health inequalities and their societal consequences, this work will advance the state of the art in health demography while having real societal impact and contributing to the Faculty's strategic focus areas, particularly Health and Welfare.

Which impact do you expect your research to have on the surrounding society?

As a demographer with advanced quantitative skills, I can accurately estimate key indicators of survival and healthy survival across different population groups. These estimates, when systematically com-pared, can reveal disparities that might otherwise remain hidden in aggregate statistics, highlighting where population-level interventions may need to be targeted more precisely. My Talent Track project examines the extent of social inequalities in time spent in retirement, a question with significant eco-nomic and social consequences. Understanding these disparities has direct implications for pension policy in Denmark and internationally. If certain social groups systematically spend fewer years in healthy retirement despite contributing equally throughout their working lives, this raises fundamental questions about equity and fairness in our social protection systems. By providing robust evidence on these patterns, my research aims to inform policy discussions and contribute to more equitable social policies that account for differential health trajectories across population groups.