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For more than a decade, the institute has organized interdisciplinary research teams to improve the lives of refugee and immigrant populations. Working in partnership with Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital, we recently received federal funding to explore discrimination and health issues among Somali refugees. Another current project involves the impact that sanctuary cities have on health and well-being have on its communities.

Violence Prevention and Trauma Studies

The institute conducts research on the cause and prevention of violence, including child abuse, youth violence, sexual assault, community violence, and intimate partner/teen dating violence. We evaluate the effectiveness of proposed interventions and develop new interventions based on an ecological approach to environmental, social, and individual determinants of violence.

Northeastern University Public Evaluation Lab

Northeastern’s Public Evaluation Lab provides program consultations with community organizations and faculty researchers, so they can enhance the lives of the people they serve. Evaluations can assess operations, resources, services, benchmarking, outcomes, impact, and more. In addition, our interdisciplinary faculty can help organizations hone funding proposals that are essential to carrying out their mission.

Public Mental Health and Substance Abuse

The institute is home to national thought leaders in behavioral health research, with a special emphasis on mental health and substance abuse. We explore how stigma, discrimination, and socioeconomic factors affect access to education, employment, and medical health. The institute also promotes public involvement in our research through community-based participatory research methods.

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Institute faculty research how social and economic factors influence health and disease prevention. Currently, we are focused on HIV/AIDS, obesity, and Hepatitis C, as well as how racial and ethnic disparities affect pregnancy outcomes across generations.

Institute of Health, Equity, and Social Justice (IHESJR)

Disparities in health and mental health arise and persist as the result of complex individual, societal, and global factors. We bring together faculty and students from across Northeastern University, along with external research partners, to tackle these complex challenges. Our teams draw upon a wide range of research methods and interventions, but share a common commitment to promoting health equity and social justice through high-impact, community engaged research.

Health Equity Intern Opportunity

Health Equity Interns are Northeastern University undergraduate students who commit to working four hours a week during one academic semester at the Institute on Health Equity and Social Justice Research in its mission of conducting research towards advancing health equity and social inclusion and reducing health disparities. Opportunities are available for interns to continue an affiliation with the Institute once the semester internship is completed.

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2019 Annual Report

This has been an exciting and productive year for us at the Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research. As you will see in this first Annual Report our teams of faculty, students and community partners, have been busy with new and exciting programmatic and research efforts…

Work Opportunities

The Institute on Urban Health Research at Northeastern University is seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic master’s or doctoral-level part-time data analyst to start immediately. Working under the direction of Dr. Beth E. Molnar, the data analyst will be responsible for conducting data management and data analysis tasks for the evaluation studies of two infant and early childhood mental health programs being implemented across the state in collaboration with the MA Department of Public Health and the Boston Public Health Commission.

Health Equity Interns

Health Equity Interns are Northeastern University undergraduate students who commit to working four hours a week during one academic semester at the Institute on Urban Health Research in its mission of conducting research towards advancing health equity and social inclusion and reducing health disparities. Opportunities are available for interns to continue an affiliation with the Institute once the semester internship is completed.

NEWS

Why Am I Having Such a Hard Time When I’m Not Sick with the Virus?

Director of the Institute, Dr. Alisa Lincoln shares her personal and professional experience with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in an interview for an article in News @ Northeastern. She provides resources and methods of coping with the stress, anxiety, and depression that may accompany many of the required actions during quarantine. Dr. Lincoln also […]

IHESJR Community Service

The Institute for Health Equity and Social justice had their first annual community service day. Faculty, staff and students from the Institute community came together to provide needed volunteer services in the Boston community. This year we worked with Community Servings, located in Jamaica Plain. Community Servings is an organization whose mission is to actively […]

Student Researchers Receive PEAK Awards for Spring 2020

Ramya Kumar (under the supervision of Dr. Laura Senier), Andrew Lee (under the supervision of Dr. Claudia Santelices), Madeleine Wong (under the supervision of Dr. Tiffany Joseph), and Alice Yan Yun (under the supervision of Dr. Beth Molnar) received Base Camp award, designed for students who are trying to get a sense of what it […]

Alisa Lincoln Featured on What’s New Podcast

What’s New Podcast is an exploration of new ideas and discovery from Northeastern University Library hosted by Dan Cohen. The latest episode, “Inequality and Mental Health”, features Alisa Lincoln, an interdisciplinary Professor of Health Sciences and Sociology/Associate Dean of Research at the College of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Director of the Institute for […]