Research Pillars
Research sponsored by the Cook Center is anchored by three core pillars:
We foster rigorous, collaborative and policy-relevant scholarship. Each pillar is led by a Faculty Director and organizes collaborative activities such as working groups, public colloquia and thematic workshops involving scholars and students at all stages. Furthermore, these pillars are complemented by cross-cutting themes of public policy engagement, data science and methodological innovation, and training the next generation of scholars.
Research Projects
Summer research fellowships
The Cook Center is sponsoring several research teams in Summer 2026 to investigate timely topics in healthcare, psychology/mental health, carceral justice and policy. Each team has a faculty team advisor and is composed of postdoctoral, doctoral and/or undergraduate fellows.
- Black Political Attitudes on Policies
- Preventing Chronic Disease Progression in African American Communities
- Punishment and Inequality
- Race, Identity and Mental Health
- Technology, Healthcare and Inequality