Embodying Race(ism) – Aresha Martinez-Cardoso Lab, University of Chicago

Welcome!

The Embodying Race(ism) lab is driven by the question, “how does social inequality affect human health and how can we intervene?”. Integrating theoretical perspectives from the social sciences with epidemiological methods in public health we examine how social inequality in the US shapes population health, with a particular focus on the health of racialized groups and immigrants. Understanding how race and social inequities have been deeply embedded into our nation’s culture and health can help us better design multilevel policy, community, and individual level strategies to intervene on health inequities. The lab is led by Dr Aresha Martinez-Cardoso, Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at UChicago.

Check out our latest projects and lab news.

Lab News

Embodying Race(ism) Lab + Chapin Hall Team Awarded Joint Research Fund & CSRPC Grants

We’re excited to announce that our lab is teaming up with Dr Emma Monahan and Angela Garza at UofC Chapin Hall to study the implementation of DULCE, a social determinants of health screening and referral program, among Latinx families in California and Florida. Our team was recently awarded funding from the UChicago-Chapin Hall Joint Research Fund and the Center for the Study of Race Politics and Culture Faculty Research Grant to support this work.

“The Weight of Migration” published in IJERPH

The Weight of Migration: Reconsidering Health Selection and Return Migration among Mexicans, authored by Dr. Martinez-Cardoso and Arline Geronimus was recently published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The paper uses data from the Mexican Family Life Survey to explore if health selection drives migration from Mexico and if return migration is associated with cardiometabolic health. Download the paper.

Embodying Race(ism) Lab grows!

The Embodying Race(ism) lab is honored to work with a fantastic group of undergraduate and graduate students from across the University of Chicago. Learn about our team members here and learn how to Get Involved if you’d like to be part of our team in the future.

“Moving Diabetes Upstream” Published in Current Diabetes Reports

“Moving Diabetes Upstream”, authored by Dr Martinez-Cardoso, lab member Woorin Jang, and Dr Arshiya Baig was recently published n in the journal Current Diabetes Reports. Our paper uses a socioecological framework to review the literature on the social determinants of diabetes management among immigrants in the US.

“Flatten Whose Curve” Op-Ed published in the Chicago Reporter

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disproportionately impact Black and Latinx communities, Drs Martinez-Cardoso and Robert Vargas (Sociology) reflect on how our public health practices and government policies exacerbate the impact of COVID on communities of color. Read it here.