Biodemography became one of the most innovative and fastest growing areas in demography. This progress is fueled by the growing variability and amount of relevant data available for analyses as well as by methodological developments allowing for addressing new research questions using new approaches that can better utilize the potential of these data. In this review paper, we summarize recent methodological advances in biodemography and their diverse practical applications. Three major topics are covered: (1) computational approaches to reconstruction of age patterns of incidence of geriatric diseases and other characteristics such as recovery rates at the population level using Medicare claims data; (2) methodological advances in genetic and genomic biodemography and applications to research on genetic determinants of longevity and health; and (3) biodemographic models for joint analyses of time-to-event data and longitudinal measurements of biomarkers collected in longitudinal studies on aging. We discuss how such data and methodology can be used in a comprehensive prediction model for joint analyses of incomplete datasets that take into account the wide spectrum of factors affecting health and mortality transitions including genetic factors and hidden mechanisms of aging-related changes in physiological variables in their dynamic connection with health and survival. 1. Introduction The field of biodemography focuses on development and applications of analytic approaches aimed at integrating biological knowledge and traditional demographic methods to investigate variability in mortality and morbidity across populations and between individuals. Biodemography of aging, in particular, investigates the impact of aging on longevity and health. Although biodemography is a relatively young scientific discipline, it rapidly became one of the most innovative and fastest growing areas in demography with a history of substantial achievements up to date and with great opportunities and new promises for the future [1–8]. This progress is fueled by the growing variability and amount of relevant data available for analyses as well as by methodological developments allowing for addressing new research questions using new approaches that can better utilize the potential of these data. In this review paper, we summarize recent publications by our research group that contributed both to methodological advances in biodemography and their diverse practical applications. Three major topics are covered. Section 2.1 discusses recent developments in computational approaches
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