David H. Chae

David H. Chae is a Professor in the Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. He serves as Director of the Society, Health and Racial Equity (SHARE) Lab, where his research centers on social determinants of health inequities, particularly the embodiment of racism as a toxic social exposure influencing disease susceptibility and progression.

His research spans the interplay between social context, developmental stages, behavior, and biology. Key areas of focus include:

• Health and Social Inequities
• Racism and Disease Risk/Progression
• Inflammation and Biological/Cell Aging
• Anti-Racism Interventions

His recent publications analyze the impact of vicarious racism, neighborhood disadvantage, and racial discrimination on mental health, sleep, lupus activity, and biomarkers of aging. These works frequently employ longitudinal and population-based data, with a strong emphasis on African American, Asian American, and Black women’s health.

Notable scientific honors include:

• Elected Fellow, Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research (2018)
• Dr. Martin Farias III Memorial Lectureship Award (2023)
• White House Panelist on Hate and Bias Incidents (2024)
• Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award, Auburn University (2019)

Dr. Chae is Associate Editor of Psychosomatic Medicine and serves on the editorial board of Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology. He has led major research initiatives such as the BeWELL Study and the UnCOVER Study, and teaches courses including Health Equity (SPHL 6100). He mentors a wide network of scholars and collaborates with multidisciplinary teams addressing structural racism in health.

His lab, the SHARE Lab, fosters interdisciplinary research on structural inequities and promotes community-engaged science to advance racial justice in public health.