Doing Translational Research

Shopping experiences in beauty retail stores are often imagined as frivolous, temporary pursuits of pleasure. Yet, from the perspective of millennial Black women, and in the context of predominantly Black neighborhoods, the consumer experience is impacted by issues related to representation, location, and ownership. Reed’s work revolves around the historical and cultural relevance of the Black beauty supply store and how to improve beauty retail store design and community and business partnerships. Reed is an assistant research professor in the Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design. Her primary research interest is in millennial Black women’s beauty culture and beauty retail spaces. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on connecting human geography, feminist studies, and merchandising in the fashion, apparel, and textile industries.

Misha Inniss-Thompson says we should listen to young people — in particular, young Black girls — for their lived experiences which can help shape school policies and create real safe spaces in schools. Inniss-Thompson’s work revolves around the impact of families, communities, and schools in shaping Black girls’ mental health and wellness using a cultural-assets perspective. She has also done research on trends in nationwide school discipline disparities that impact Black girls. Inniss-Thompson is an assistant research professor in the Department of Psychology at Cornell University.

When a policy is implemented, the intended purpose of it is important but what about the unintended actions or consequences of that policy? Jamein Cunningham looks at the impact that historical programs from the 1960s and 1970s have had on the socioeconomic conditions of Black Americans. Cunningham is an assistant professor in the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy. His research agenda consists of four broad overarching themes focusing on the intersectionality of institutional discrimination, access to social justice, crime and criminal justice, and race and economic inequality. He is a faculty affiliate at the Cornell Population Center and holds professional memberships in the American Economic Association, the Southern Economic Association, the American Law and Economics Association, the Racial Democracy, Crime, and Justice Network and the National Economic Association.

Dr. Melody Goodman, Associate Dean for Research and biostatistics expert at NYU, advocates for incorporating non-academic stakeholders in research to combat health disparities. She discusses the significant 17-year gap from research to practice and how community engagement can bridge this divide. Melody emphasizes the crucial role of lived experience in public health science and offers practical strategies for researchers to tailor their findings for diverse audiences. Her vision is to make community engagement a standard, not a niche, in public health.

Janis Whitlock is research scientist emerita at the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research at Cornell, and founder/director of the Cornell Research Program on Self-injury and Recovery. While Whitlock is retiring from Cornell, it's more of a transition, where she will continue the work she has been doing.

Dr. Renata M. Leitão is a Brazilian/Canadian design researcher with eleven years of experience in collaborative projects with Indigenous and marginalized communities. Dr. Leitão holds a PhD in Environmental Design and a MASc in Design & Complexity (Université de Montréal). In this episode, Dr. Leitão discusses the importance of intercultural translation, including how academics and researchers can connect with the communities they are working with.

Dr. Adam Hoffman is an assistant professor of psychology in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University. His research focuses on how ethnic, racial, and gender identities develop during adolescence and how they affect academic motivation and achievement, well-being and mental health. Hoffman also investigates how social identities can be leveraged to promote positive youth development. Hoffman shares with host Tony Burrow about his research with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and how he was able to engage with them for his research.

Dr. Laura Bellows is an associate professor in the division on nutritional sciences, after spending 20 years at Colorado State University. Her research is focused on the development of eating habits and physical activity patterns in early childhood; interventions in the early care setting; and the influence of parental behaviors and the home environment on the development of these behaviors.  Much of her work is focused on health disparate populations, including those with limited resources, who are Latino, and living in rural communities. Additionally, Dr. Bellows has worked with an interdisciplinary food systems team contributing expertise in diet quality, food security, the food environment and rural communities. Dr. Bellows has been awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) by President Barack Obama, and the Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior’s Mid-Career Award.  She serves as an associate editor for the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity and co-chair of the research division for the Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

This episode we hear from Deborah Sellers, director of research and evaluation for the Residential Child Care Project (RCCP) in the BCTR. Much of RCCP's work involves training staff in residential facilities and schools worldwide to respond to traumatized children in crisis without further traumatizing the child. Through her work in RCCP, Sellers helps design research studies that answer the right questions to guide decisions and uses data to evaluate how facilities can improve child safety. Deborah Sellers is director of research and evaluation for the Residential Child Care Project (RCCP) in the Bonfenbrenner Center for Translational Research. She facilitates research and evaluation activities in RCCP by identifying new avenues for research, supporting the development of new proposals, monitoring and/or assisting with data collection, processing, and analyses, and writing manuscripts for publication. Dr. Sellers also oversees the data collection efforts associated with the implementation of RCCP's Children and Residential Experiences (CARE) and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) programs. Dr. Sellers has extensive experience in research and evaluation design, the design and implementation of survey research, and the analysis of quantitative data as well as data collection, processing and analysis in substantive areas including chronic illness, end-of-life care, organ donation, adult and adolescent health promotion and foster as well as residential care for children.

Laura Tach and Elizabeth Day of Cornell Project 2Gen join Tony to talk about two-generation approaches to helping families thrive. They discuss why addressing the needs of both children and adults in a single family is a more effective way to create positive outcomes. Project 2Gen has extensive connections in communities and the court system. These partners have helped form the research that then benefits vulnerable families. Laura Tach is an sssociate professor of policy analysis and management and sociology (by courtesy) at Cornell University. Her research and teaching interests focus on poverty and social policy. Together with Rachel Dunifon, she co-directs Cornell Project 2Gen, an initiative of the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research. Project 2Gen serves as a hub for research, policy and practice that supports vulnerable caregivers and children together. Elizabeth Day is assistant director for policy engagement for Cornell Project 2Gen and an engaged learning associate with the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs. Her research focuses on bridging research and policy, with a particular focus on adolescent well-being and family policy at the state level.