Samuel K. Roberts

Samuel K. Roberts is Associate Professor of History at Columbia University's School of Arts and Sciences and of Sociomedical Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health. He previously directed the Institute for Research in African American Studies (IRAAS) and currently leads the Research Cluster for the Historical Study of Race, Inequality, and Health at the Center for Science and Society, bridging historical scholarship with contemporary public health and social justice issues.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in History, Princeton University (2001)
• M.A. in History, Princeton University (1997)
• B.A. in History, University of Virginia (1995)

Dr. Roberts specializes in African-American urban history with focus on race, medicine, and public health systems during Jim Crow segregation, as demonstrated in his acclaimed book "Infectious Fear." Current research examines the political history of heroin addiction treatment from the 1950s-1990s, covering therapeutic communities, methadone maintenance, and harm reduction movements. His work extends to criminal justice reform through prison aging studies and the "People Doing Interesting Stuff" podcast addressing HIV/AIDS, reproductive justice, and syringe exchange programs.

He served as Policy Director for Columbia's Justice Initiative (now Center for Justice), editing "Aging in Prison" (2015), and co-edits Columbia University Press's book series in Race, Inequality, and Health. Dr. Roberts leads interdisciplinary collaboration through the Research Cluster for the Historical Study of Race, Inequality, and Health, advancing scholarship at the intersection of historical analysis and health equity advocacy.