If you're like me, you probably don't enjoy going to the hospital. You know, while we should consider ourselves lucky to be surrounded by some of the best hospitals in the world here in Baltimore, there's usually nothing good happening when you find yourself spending a significant amount of time in one. Although, you know, I suppose there's one notable exception to that statement, and I should know something about it, because last year, I first met my baby daughter in the obstetrics wing of a nearby hospital. That visit was unforgettably positive. Although the food was nothing to write home about. When most Americans visit hospitals for reasons besides childbirth however, they have a wide variety of experiences and outcomes. Older Americans are especially likely to experience medical issues that require various levels of care, from in-home visits to hospitalization. Among them is diabetes, a chronic disease that is associated with a large number of issues related to mobility, cognition, and functional living for aging populations. We know that from a biological standpoint, diabetes poses a number of physical risks to Americans. But what can the social sciences tell us about the lived experiences of people with diabetes? That's one of the biggest questions that Dr. Tasneem Khambaty, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Medicine at UMBC, hopes to answer. Dr. Khambaty, who received a PhD in Clinical Health Psychology from Purdue University, has published a number of articles in recent years on a variety of topics at the intersection of public health and the social sciences. Whether it's depression and anxiety, diabetes, gum disease, or the interaction of these conditions and other health outcomes, Dr. Khambaty's research helps us understand how social forces contribute to the severity of the health issues experienced by individuals of different races, ages and life situations. Most recently, Dr. Khambaty has received a grant from the UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship to examine how social forces shaped the impacts of diabetes on other health outcomes. The research draws on the HANDLS study, which stands for Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span. It's a unique data source that reaches over 3000 black and white residents of Baltimore City using mobile research vehicles. In my recent interview with Dr. Khambaty we learned much more about the intersection of health and the social sciences, as well as the details of the HANDLS study. Let's listen it.