Doing Translational Research Bronfenbrenner Center at Cornell University

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.

Translating research can take a long time. How do you help speed up the process? Melody Goodman says you should bring in the non-academic stakeholders that will benefit from your research.

Melody Goodman is associate dean for research and professor of biostatistics at the School of Global Public Health at New York University.

Dr. Melody Goodman’s efforts seek to understand the social risk factors that contribute to health disparities in urban areas, with the goal of developing culturally competent, region-specific, and evidence-based solutions through collaborative activities with community members, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and other community health stakeholders. The purpose of her work is the development of solutions for improving health in minority and medically underserved communities.

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.