I am an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Utah and an affiliate of the Health, Society & Policy (HSP) program. My research centers on the psychological effects of inequality, with a focus on common mental health conditions such as major depression. I am especially interested in so-called “mental health paradoxes” that traditional theories of stratification cannot easily explain.
My work lies at the intersection of medical sociology, social psychology, inequality, and culture. Other areas of interest include classical and contemporary social theory, political sociology, and sociology of modernity.
I received a Ph.D. in sociology from Indiana University in 2023. Prior to that, I earned an M.S. in sociology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where I served as a predoctoral trainee at the National Institute on Aging, a division of the National Institutes of Health. I also hold a B.A. in sociology from Oberlin College.
I have an active interest in pedagogy (see Teaching) and have published in Teaching Sociology. Feel free to get in touch at max.coleman@utah.edu.