Charles H. Lea III

Charles H. Lea III, PhD, MSW, is an Assistant Professor at the Columbia University School of Social Work and a Faculty Affiliate of the Columbia Population Research Center. His research examines how racism, carcerality, and other structural and social determinants shape the health and well-being of Black youth and young adults, particularly those impacted by the criminal legal system.

Dr. Lea’s interdisciplinary research program integrates population health, social work, and prevention science to examine pathways to mental health, substance use, and broader health inequities while identifying community and structural factors that promote resilience, radical healing, and well-being. His work also focuses on developing and evaluating community-engaged and culturally responsive interventions designed to improve health and life-course outcomes among historically marginalized populations.

Methodologically, Dr. Lea uses qualitative, mixed-methods, participatory, and arts-informed approaches and increasingly examines the role of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies in health decision-making and health equity. Across his scholarship, he partners with youth, community organizations, and people with lived experience to translate research into interventions, practices, and policies that advance health equity and reduce the consequences of structural inequality.