Rodlescia Sneed

Rodlescia Sneed is an Assistant Professor at Wayne State University affiliated with the Institute of Gerontology, specializing in social gerontology with expertise in biopsychosocial health models, community-engaged research, and chronic disease among diverse aging populations.

Her educational credentials include:

• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Social Gerontology from the University of Pittsburgh
• PhD in Social and Health Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University
• MPH in Epidemiology from Columbia University
• AB in Molecular Biology from Princeton University

Sneed's research examines how social environments impact aging, with dual foci on social tie dynamics in marginalized older adults and criminal justice system involvement as a social determinant of health. Her work addresses health inequities through community partnerships, focusing on innovative interventions for socially isolated populations and older justice-involved individuals, while exploring mechanisms linking social relationships to physical and psychological well-being.

Her publication trends reveal growing interdisciplinary convergence between gerontology, criminology, and public health, emphasizing food insecurity among incarcerated elders, intergenerational relationship dynamics in minority aging, and pandemic-related health disparities in African-American communities. These works consistently highlight structural inequities and community-based solutions for successful aging.

Key scientific recognitions include:

• Policies 4 Action Fellow from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• Research Scientist position at the Michigan Center for Urban African-American Aging Research

Sneed directs significant grant-funded initiatives including NIH/NIA-funded research ($673,216) on chronic disease management in correctional settings and a Retirement Research Foundation project ($200,000) developing intergenerational wisdom exchange programs for Black and Hispanic elders. Her professional service includes Deputy Editorship of the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and leadership in the Aging Research in Criminal Justice & Health Network.

She leads The Social and Psychological Determinants of Health and Aging Research Group (The SHARE Group), which implements community-engaged methodologies to identify and improve factors contributing to health inequities among mid-to-late-life adults through stakeholder collaboration.