Member of the Month: Danielle Crookes

Danielle Crookes
Northeastern University

What discipline(s) does your research fall under?

I am a social epidemiologist who studies immigrant health in the US. My research examines how immigrant-related policies, racism, and xenophobia impact the cardiometabolic health of immigrants and subsequent US-born generations. My most recent work has centered on policies and practices that affect immigrants’ healthcare utilization for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as diabetes.

What other disciplines pique your interest? Are there additional disciplines you are interested in incorporating in your own research?

I am formally trained in epidemiology, but because of my focus on sociopolitical drivers of immigrant health, I lean heavily on the expertise of sociologists, who have historically been more active in immigrant studies. Because my work touches on policy, medical care, and health, my current collaborators and mentors span epidemiology, public health, sociology, psychology, family medicine, and law. Bringing a project to any one of them yields a different question for reflection— this makes the work more nuanced and richer.

What brought you to IAPHS?

In one way or another — I forget exactly how — I was made aware of IAPHS during my postdoctoral fellowship. Once I started reading about the organization, it seemed like a great fit. My first conference was in the online format in 2020. Even with the pivot to online, the experience stood out because it was the first time I had attended a conference where health equity, especially racial health equity, was a focal point. By 2021, I had organized my first panel on immigrant health.

What is your favorite thing about IAPHS?

I feel at home at IAPHS. When I attend the conference, there’s a range of sessions (e.g., legal epidemiology, community-engaged research) that I’m excited about and I learn something new each time. I appreciate that so many attendees are committed to health equity and contribute their disciplinary expertise to advance that shared goal. It’s also been a wonderful conference to bring students to. They’ve consistently told me they enjoy both the content and the approachability of the community.

Will you be at the conference this year?

Yes! I think I’ve attended almost every IAPHS conference since 2020, and I look forward to it.

Do you have pets?

Yes – our dog was the first addition to our family, and now at 15 years old, we’re savoring every day he’s still in our lives. Ok – maybe not the bedtime walk when it’s raining or snowing!

What do you do for fun?

I enjoy nature walks and cooking. I also love to try new foods, so when I travel, even for conferences, I try to make sure to grab a local specialty!

What’s something that recently made you smile?

I love being out in nature, and one way I’ve found to get more of it into my life is working from the “car office.” New Yorkers are no strangers to getting things done from the car during midday street cleaning. I started my official tradition of “car office” in a different city, during the pandemic to get extra space and a change of scenery. I loved it so much that I kept it going. Now, if I have a grading session or a writing deadline and no meetings on the calendar, I pack up the car, park myself near a river or reservoir, and pull out the laptop. The sun, the sound of water, and the wind in the trees are a genuine mood-changer. I made great use of my car office during one of those false-spring days up here in New England.

How can people contact you?

Feel free to reach me at d.crookes@northeastern.edu.