Denys Dukhovnov
Background
I currently work as a Postdoctoral Scholar at Human Mortality Database (HMD). First as a visiting researcher at the French National Institute for Demographic Studies (INED) and now independently I am involved in an overhaul and development of the inter-organization joint project for the multinational Human Cause of Death Database (HCD). In tandem, I am working with multiple scholars on projects related to geographic disparities in mortality in the United States.
My recent experience involved developing and contributing to dashboard applications using R Shiny for USMDB, French Mortality Database and Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative, scientific paper collaborations on time use and demographic topics with scholars across the US, UK, France, Germany, and Singapore. I taught several courses on formal demographic methods and economics of demography.
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Prior to my starting my Ph.D. I worked as Research Associate at CUNY Institute for Demographic Research, developing new methods and instruments to measure present spatial extent and the ongoing urban sprawl in the US, India, Mexico, and Bangladesh.
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Simultaneously, I worked as an independent Research Analyst on a mixed-methods project at CUNY Queens College investigating determinants of radicalization in the Afghan immigrant community in Queens, NY.
Education
2016 - 2024
University of California, Berkeley
Ph.D. Demography
2013 - 2014
CUNY Queens College
M.A. Data Analytics & Applied Social Research
2007 - 2012
CUNY Hunter College
B.A. Sociology
My co-authors/collaborators
Research interests
Spatial Demography
Studying spatial determinants of mortality, applying statistical methods and econometric models
Small Area Estimation
Refining demographic estimates for small groups or small geographic partitions based on available data
Time Use and Intergenerational Transfers of Time
Documenting and projecting supply and demand in non-tangible resources
Population Aging and Health
Theory and research on biological and social components of healthy aging
Bio
I was born and brought up in Lviv, Ukraine, where I lived until graduating high school. I moved to the United States at the age of 17. Thanks to my family and international community network I was fortunate to be able to quickly adapt to the new environment and to the new way of life. This allowed me to immediately focus on my undergraduate studies.
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Ever since I found myself in an elective introductory course in Sociology, I became fascinated with the regularity of human behavior. Exploring this path further through applied sociology and later demographic research, I discovered the realm in which one could make sense of and predict patterns that are otherwise indiscernible. Just as much I liked the idea of being able to offer meaningful contributions through my research and apply its findings in large part to effect short-to-medium term solutions. Having graduated with a B.A. degree, my first job as an institutional data analyst at my alma mater strengthened my resolve and enabled me to put my then-rudimentary skills to bolster student progression through the college by targeting inefficiencies and critical gaps in under-resourced departments.
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With time, changing several research jobs and entering graduate schools, first for the Master's degree in Sociology, and later for the Ph.D. in Demography, I grew to appreciate my involvement in social and demographic research. Since then I have come to a realization of how much my ongoing academic and professional pursuits hinged on my ability to attend that one optional course, still as a disorientated college freshman. Indeed, now the phrase "to be in the right place, at the right time" speaks a great deal to me. Adapting it to the broader research context, I see potential in examining how human behavior changes both in a given space and during a certain time as well as across space and over time. My personal interest and research agenda thus revolve around what I like to call a "sociodemographic spacetime".
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Of course, being mindful of (life)time slipping by I truly enjoy, nay indulge in regular baking, woodcrafts, home winemaking, organic gardening, languages and travel, world history, and picking up the rudiments of a variety of ancient trades that have largely fallen out of vogue.