Health Equity Research Lab
Stewarding the health and dignity of all people through rigorous research.
We advance knowledge, practice, and policy changes to reduce health disparities and improve health and well-being of marginalized populations.
The Health Equity Research Lab brings together social workers, public health practitioners, people with lived expertise, policy leaders, and community partners to investigate systemic barriers to care. We develop and test effective health and social service interventions to address the social drivers of health and quality of life.
The lab’s projects span a diverse range of critical issues in social care and health, cutting across all our impact areas. They include housing instability and homelessness, person-centered care for children and families with medical complexity, and strategies to increase healthcare access for Black women living with HIV. The lab also develops culturally responsive and evidence-based approaches to advance long-term health outcomes among Black and Latino men.
The lab’s rigorous research findings contribute to broader efforts to identify best practices, build scalable models, lead systems change, and advance social work leadership and practice.
Signature Projects
- CoIIN to Advance Care for Children with Medical Complexity
- The Catalyst Center
- SURE Housing Initiative
- Colors of Kindness Program Evaluation
Key Principles
- Center Community Voice: Prioritize those most affected by health inequities, ensuring research is inclusive, participatory, and responsive to community needs.
- Commitment to Rigor: Conduct research that is methodologically sound, culturally responsive, and designed to minimize harm.
- Prioritize Drivers of Health: Examine the systemic and structural conditions that create and sustain health inequities.
- Research with Purpose: Translate research into policy, training, and practice.
