October 09, 2024 | News | New Faces at MPIDR

Welcome, Jordan Klein!

Jordan Klein joins the Department of Digital and Computational Demography. © MPIDR/Schulz

The Department of Digital and Computational Demography welcomes new member Jordan Klein. Jordan comes from Princeton University. He holds a PhD in Demography, specialising in international comparative epidemiology and computational demography. He wrote his dissertation on "Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases and their Social Contexts." While at MPIDR, Jordan plans (among other things) to continue his research agenda on climate change, emerging infectious diseases and their social drivers and impacts, with a particular focus on the key role of migration, mobility and social inequalities.

What’s your job at MPIDR and how long will you be working here?
I’m a research scientist in the Department of Digital and Computational Demography joint appointed in both Laboratories of Population Dynamics and Sustainable Well-Being, and Migration and Mobility.

What is your motivation to work in this field of research?
My research focuses on climate change, emerging infectious diseases, and their social drivers and impacts, which I view as the greatest challenges of our time. Pursuing research employing new sources of data and methodological tools to improve our understanding of these systems excites me. I relish the opportunities to both think theoretically and apply my research to real-world problems to catalyze impact.

Why did you choose MPIDR as your new employer?
I chose MPIDR as a new employer because it is a world-leading research institution in our field and interdisciplinary collaboration is the norm rather than the exception. The specialized research groups in the digital and computational demography department align really well with my interests.

Where are you from? What do you miss most about home (and maybe: what don’t you miss at all)?
I’m originally from New York. What I probably miss the most is the ultimate trifecta of New York foods: bagels and lox, NY style pizza, and dim sum.

What is your favorite and what is your least favorite part about work?
My favorite part about work is how international MPIDR is and getting to know my new coworkers from all over the world. My least favorite part is the coffee - the espresso machine has been under repair since I started and I have been having to make do with instant coffee for the time being.