We are the Critical Health + Social Ecology Lab at Fordham University.
We explore space, place, aging, and neighborhood change through an interdisciplinary + intersectional lens. In a broad sense, we care about the social context where people live, work, and age. We use surveys, epidemiological data, geospatial analytics, and community engagement to examine questions related to these themes.
CH+SE is unique in how we combine social + community psychology foundations with other ecological perspectives — encouraging both thinkers and actors. Essential to our work is the study of intersectionality, and what intersectional approaches mean for psychology and our work specifically. Our engagement with the community puts issues of power, gender, race, and social change at the fore of the work we do to bring groups from the margins to the center.
is a psychologist, and her research focuses on health, the life course, work, place, social change and intersections between neighborhoods and race. She is also interested in expressions of giving, activism, and community involvement. Shellae is currently working on a spatial mapping project for changing neighborhoods and exploring the dynamics of social trends in cities.
Brionna is a doctoral student in the Applied Developmental Program (ADP) at Fordham University (Dept of Psychology). Her research interests include foodscapes, food environments, and Black women’s health. Her published research examines food sovereignty as a strategy for addressing food insecurity, and intersectional invisibility among first-generation college students. Brionna’s master’s thesis investigates the association between Black women’s hairstyles, perceived discrimination, and the moderating effects of age.