Over the last few decades, social science studies have added biological data collection to better understand the interplay between social, behavioral and environmental influences on health. The addition of epigenetics to this mix has been revolutionary—it is helping us unlock information about past exposures and reframing what “biological aging” means. In this presentation, Faul will discuss what the addition of epigenetic data has taught us about what makes us age. Faul’s research focuses on life-course, social and biological predictors for health and aging. The Health and Retirement Study she co-directs is the largest study of Americans over age 50 in the United States.