Esther M. Friedman

Esther M. Friedman, PhD, is a research associate professor at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where she also serves as associate director of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Dr. Friedman’s research examines how families and communities facilitate the health and wellbeing of older adults. Much of her recent work focuses specifically on family caregiving and long-term care. She recently co-led the evaluation of the Weinberg Center for Elder Justice’s Shelter Model for Elder Abuse and Mistreatment, and is currently working on a follow-up assessment with a team at the RAND Corporation. Prior to joining the University of Michigan, she was a senior social scientist at the RAND Corporation. Dr. Friedman holds a Ph.D. in sociology from UCLA.