Pillars
The work of this Center will be implemented through strategic partnerships led by a democratic collaborative process in which key stakeholders will build consensus on actions to address health disparities and racial injustices through a shared community vision.
The CHERJ will engage in innovative research that amplifies the voices and lived experiences of underserved communities. This meaningful work will be translated and used to build capacity towards health equity and racial justice strategy development and serve as a multilevel system national practice model.
Transformational and Collaborative Partnerships
Foster transformational and collaborative partnerships that empower and inspire the use of healthcare data to address healthcare disparities through policy, programs, and practice.
Build a pipeline of healthcare scholars trained in monitoring and evaluating health disparities data and developing programs to achieve health equity
iServe

Behavioral health intervention development and program evaluation
We specialize in developing and evaluating health behavior interventions. Over the past decade,
Dr. Ingram has implemented culturally adapted interventions and led program evaluation activities in underserved ethnic communities.
Building health EQUITY
Our research seeks to ensure that all populations have an equal opportunity to live a healthy and quality life. We focus our research on the prevalence of minority health disparities. We seek to build knowledge and understanding around the issues fostering minority health disparities to develop culturally appropriate interventions that seek to eliminate these disparities.
social justice & strengths-based practice
Training for graduate-level public health scholars interested in community engagement in practice and fostering scholarly activities. Community Health Practitioner Trainees (CHPTs) work will include creating safe spaces for community advocacy and community health policy development.
MEET THE CHERJ FOUNDER
Dr. LaDrea Ingram
Founder, Social Behavioral Scientist
Dr. LaDrea Ingram is the Co-Founder of ProjectiGive and Assistant Professor Adjunct of Public Health at Yale University, School of Public Health, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
She is a social behavioral scientist and certified health education specialist (CHES). She earned her doctoral degree in Health Education & Behavioral Studies
from Columbia University, Teachers College. Dr. Ingram also received a Master of Arts in Government from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Science in Health and Medical Policy from George Mason University.
Dr. Ingram’s work focuses on the connection between biopsychosocial factors (i.e., trauma,stress, adverse childhood experiences-interpersonal childhood violence) and co-occurring disorders (substance use, mental illness) in people of color and socially disadvantaged populations. Correspondingly, she explores the racial/ethnic disparities in health-related outcomes.
As a scholar-practitioner, Dr. Ingram recognizes the dynamic interplay between research and community change thus, applies a social justice-oriented approach to community-based participatory research (CBPR). She is also interested in implementation science and developing evidence-based interventions that improve psychological wellness and health-enhancing behaviors in young women of color.
