Lindsay Leban

Lindsay Leban is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), within the College of Arts and Sciences. She joined UAB in 2018 after completing her PhD in Criminology at the University of Florida. Her research focuses on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), gender and crime, substance use, and criminological theory. Leban is an associate scientist with the Center for the Study of Community Health and the Social Science and Justice Research Center, and a faculty affiliate in Women’s and Gender Studies.

She holds degrees including a BA in Sociology from Florida Gulf Coast University, an MA and PhD in Criminology, Law, and Society from the University of Florida. Her work emphasizes understanding how ACEs influence deviant outcomes and resilience, particularly through frameworks like the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (NSCDC) and Health Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE). Recent studies include analyses of ACEs’ effects on mental health, obesity, and delinquency, with attention to gendered and contextual factors.

Lebin’s research also explores drug policy, media depictions of crime (e.g., Malaysia’s death penalty), and reentry support for formerly incarcerated individuals. She teaches courses on statistics, drugs and society, and women in criminal justice. Her work has been published in journals like Journal of Criminal Justice, Crime and Delinquency, and Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

Her professional roles include serving on dissertation committees for graduate students and leading courses on data analysis and criminological topics. Leban collaborates widely, with international co-authors and a focus on interdisciplinary solutions to societal challenges.