Sonali Rajan
Associate Professor of Health Education in the Department of Health and Behavior Studies at Teachers College, Columbia UniversitySonali Rajan is an Associate Professor of Health Education in the Department of Health and Behavior Studies at Teachers College, Columbia University. She also holds a secondary faculty appointment in the Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. Dr. Rajan is a school violence prevention researcher, studying gun violence, school safety, and adverse childhood experiences. For nearly 15 years she has conducted research and engaged in translational efforts in K-12 public schools across the US. Among her various projects, Dr. Rajan is currently the co-principal investigator of an R01 study, evaluating the impact of school violence exposure on student health and learning outcomes, within the CDC-funded Columbia Center for Injury Science and Prevention. She also currently co-produces Re(Search) for Solutions, a podcast hosted by the Media and Social Change Lab at Teachers College, devoted to amplifying creative and evidence-based solutions to the persistence of gun violence. Dr. Rajan’s work prioritizes the needs for schools and communities to collectively attend to the well-being of children while keeping them safe, reducing their exposure to violence, and ensuring opportunities for them to thrive. She received her Master’s in Applied Statistics and Doctor of Education in Health and Behavior Studies from Columbia University.