Life events are typically not random; some people have a different probability of getting divorced than others. What are the factors that describe this selection process? The lab is using machine learning and other advanced quantitative techniques to understand who has the highest probability of getting diagnosed with cancer, for example. Through these investigations we hope to be able to better understand the causal pathways that lead to important life events such as (e.g., disease diagnosis, educational attainment, divorce, job promotion).