CORE Lab

About the CORE Lab

The COntextualized Research for Equity in Child and Adolescent Development Lab (CORE Lab) at SDSU, directed by Dr. Jane Leer, conducts rigorous research examining how the contexts that children and adolescents live, learn, and play in shape their development. The goal of our research is to understand and address some of our world’s most critical problems, including racial and socioeconomic housing and health disparities, intergenerational poverty, and educational inequities.

Our research is community-engaged and policy-relevant. We partner with non-profits and government agencies to support youth development using a contextualized, strengths-based perspective spanning multiple cultural contexts (in the US and globally), developmental phases (early childhood through emerging adulthood), and outcomes (mental health, educational attainment and achievement, and intergroup dynamics). 

Research Areas

Current Research in the CORE Lab includes two main lines of inquiry: 

Neighborhoods & Housing
How, when, and for whom do neighborhood and housing factors such as gentrification, racial turnover, segregation, and housing insecurity influence youth mental health, education outcomes, and social cognition (e.g., beliefs about inequality, attitudes towards race and racism?) 

Policy and Intervention Implementation and Evaluation 
How can social policies that aim to strengthen youth contexts more equitably serve diverse populations and mitigate poverty and racism-related inequities? Policies we focus on include rental assistance programs (e.g., housing vouchers, public housing developments), the McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act, and universal parenting programs in the US and globally (Latin America). 

View our Lab Publications in Google Scholar.

Join the Lab!

Student researchers are essential to the CORE Lab. Students are routinely involved in all stages of research, from question formation to primary data collection, analysis, and results communication.

Graduate Students
Dr. Leer is recruiting graduate students through the SDSU M.A. program in Psychology, a funded program that is ideal for those interesting in seeking a PhD in psychology and/or a career in research inside or outside of academia. Ideal candidates for the CORE Lab will have a B.A. in psychology, sociology, economics, health, policy, or interdisciplinary studies. Research experience—especially quantitative analytic skills using R or Stata—is highly valued (but not a requirement).

Undergraduate Students
The CORE Lab also offers opportunities for current SDSU undergraduate students. Research commitments are typically 8+ hours /week. If you are interested, please E-Mail Dr. Leer [email protected] a copy of your CV/resume and unofficial transcripts.