Image

Healthcare is often viewed through a narrow lens—the doctor’s visit, the prescription, the procedure. But Associate Professor of Psychology Christopher Godfrey, PhD, on Pace University’s New York City campus, challenges this limited perspective. For him, healthcare is not just a sterile clinical exchange between patient and provider. His research challenges providers to consider a patient’s lived history, advocating for communication, trust, and patient empowerment as essential to equitable and effective care.

“Patients carry a lifetime of experiences that shape how they interact with providers, how they trust institutions, and how they make decisions,” he said.

A traditional deficiency has also existed on the study of healthcare system experiences of marginalized groups, such as Black and brown people, economically disadvantaged families, LGBTQ+ individuals, women, older adults, and those living with HIV/AIDS.

Godfrey and his student research team at Pace, however, want to change that.

The CUHER Lab at Pace

As director of the Center for Urban Health and Education Research Lab (CUHER) at Pace, housed in the Psychology department, he and his student colleagues work with communities and community-based organizations on questions of how medically disenfranchised populations make decisions about their health. Specifically, Godfrey, who teaches undergraduate students as well as directs Pace’s PhD program in Clinical Psychology – Health Care Emphasis, has been mapping patients’ self-reported experiences onto physiological data—lifting the voices of patients often left unheard.

“It’s validating,” he said, “because it means these conversations belong in primary care, not just in a specialist’s office after something has gone wrong.”

Sexual Health and Silence in Primary Care

One of Godfrey’s recent projects takes on a subject often neglected in medical settings: sexual health in primary care. According to him, these conversations are often reduced to risk factors, avoiding discussions on sexual behavior itself, such as pleasure, discomfort, or injury that are central to health. Another stream of his research examines how lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals navigate primary care.

“Sometimes it’s full disclosure, sometimes it’s partial, sometimes it’s silence. What matters is that people are constantly evaluating—is this someone I can trust with this part of myself?” Godfrey said.

According to him, these nuanced strategies reflect patient resilience and problem-solving within an imperfect system that doesn’t always meet their needs.

It Takes a Family

Godfrey, who also has a private clinical practice, has also studied healthcare workers’ COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic mental health and health-risk perceptions and discovered how family plays a central role in health navigation.

Godfrey and his research colleagues found that what sustained frontline workers was community and family support more than institutional or civic recognition, challenging assumptions about what sustains resilience.

He also identified what he calls “medical families”—households with multiple health workers, who shared a unique culture of resilience.

“We talk about military families. Well, there are medical families too. They support each other in ways outsiders can’t,” he said.

Improving the Conundrum of Communication

At the heart of Godfrey’s work is communication.

Whether between patients and doctors, families and communities, or researchers and providers, effective communication determines outcomes. And for those who enter medical appointments unprepared, without the privilege of research or advocacy, he sees an urgent need for support.

Quipping at his own behavior as a patient—sending journal articles to his physician before a visit—and describing himself as “a provider’s nightmare,” he said, ”Not everyone has the time, access, or background to do that research. My heart goes out to them.”

It’s why he envisions new ways of supporting patients—from teaching communication skills to creating advocates who can accompany vulnerable populations.

The Bigger Picture

Godfrey’s message is clear: health care is not simply delivered; it is lived. It is shaped by memory, culture, trust, and community. And until systems begin listening to the voices of those who live it—patients and providers alike—the system will remain incomplete.

Through both his work at Pace’s CUHER lab and in private practice, he envisions a healthcare system that not only listens to patients but empowers them.

“You don’t have a healthcare system without people,” he said. “And their voices have to be at the center.”

Fever. Chills. Stuffy nose. Fatigue. Body aches. If that all sounds terrible, you're going to want to get vaccinated against the flu. Protect yourself and those around you by heading over to University Health Care for this year's flu shot.

CHP students have been given priority scheduling to comply with their clinical requirements, so stop in during September. All members of the Pace Community are encouraged to get vaccinated.

NYC Campus

161 William, Room 212
Phone: (212) 346-1600

No cost for most insurances—you must have your insurance card on you at time of service. For self-pay, the cost is $25.00 via debit/credit or check. Make an appointment at University Health Care via the confidential patient portal.

Westchester and Haub Law campuses

Paton House (behind Alumni Hall), Westchester Campus
Phone: (914) 773-3760

We've got you covered, too. Make an appointment at University Health Care via the confidential patient portal. No cost for most insurances—you must have your insurance card on you at time of service. For self-pay, the cost is $25.00 via debit/credit or check.

For questions about flu shots and availability, contact UHC Director Ohnma Kyaw, DNP, at okyaw@pace.edu.

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is proud to announce that five renowned environmental scholars and practitioners will join the Law School as Haub Visiting Scholars. These distinguished scholars – Sam Bookman, Monika Ehrman, Marianne Engelman-Lado, Douglas Kysar, and Jim Salzman – will bring their expertise to Pace through guest lectures, faculty collaboration, and working with students in the Environmental Law Program and beyond. Funding for the Haub Visiting Scholars was made possible by a gift from the Haub family in recognition of the essential role of environmental science, informatics and other technology and allied fields towards formulating environmental policy and law.

“The Haub Visiting Scholars program is a transformative opportunity for both the Scholars and the Pace Haub Law community,” said Katrina Fischer Kuh, Faculty Director of the Environmental Law Program and Haub Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law. “Each of these visiting scholars brings not only a unique depth of knowledge in their respective fields, but also a practical viewpoint and understanding of pressing environmental challenges and the need for innovative solutions. Each Haub Visiting Scholar will enrich classroom discussions, foster new research collaborations, and inspire the next generation of environmental leaders.”

As previously announced, Sam Bookman will be a Visiting Assistant Professor with the Law School for the Fall 2025 semester and he will also serve as a Haub Visiting Scholar. While at Pace Haub Law, he will teach Climate Change Law and Constitutional Law. Professor Bookman is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard’s Project on the Foundations of Private Law. He also works as the Senior Staff Attorney in the Environment Program of the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, an initiative of the New York City Bar Association. Professor Bookman will also lend his expertise as Pace Haub Law builds the Pace New York Environmental Rights Repository, which seeks to support application of the environmental rights added to the New York State Constitution in 2022. Professor Bookman will also participate with Pace Haub Law in the upcoming global Climate Change Conference COP30, held in Belem, Brazil.

Monika U. Ehrman will visit Pace Haub Law as a Haub Visiting Scholar during the Fall of 2025. She is a Professor of Law at SMU Dedman School of Law and a Professor of Engineering (by courtesy) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at SMU Lyle School of Engineering, in Dallas, Texas. During her time at Pace Haub Law, Professor Ehrman will serve as a guest lecturer, participate in faculty workshops and Pace Haub Law’s third annual Sustainable Business Workshop, moderate a panel at the WCA Sustainable Business Profit and Purpose Conference, and more. Her scholarly interests are in the areas of natural resources, energy, mining, property, and environmental law & policy. She is principal investigator of a multi-year team grant awarded in 2021 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to study the impact of the clean energy transition on Native American communities.

Marianne Engelman-Lado will visit Pace Haub Law as a Haub Visiting Scholar during 2025-2026. During that time, she will deliver a faculty workshop, visit classes as a guest lecturer, and engage with the Pace Haub Law Community. Professor Engelman-Lado’s has devoted her career to civil rights and environmental justice. She recently joined New York University School of Law to serve as Research Scholar and Director of a new Environmental Justice Initiative. During the Biden Administration she served as Deputy General Counsel for Environmental Initiatives in the Office of General Counsel and as Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator in the newly launched Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights at the Environmental Protection Agency. She previously directed Environmental Justice Clinics at Yale and Vermont Law Schools, and served as Lecturer at both the Yale University School of Public Health and the Yale School of the Environment. She has served as senior staff attorney at Earthjustice, her experience also includes ten years as General Counsel at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI), and she began her legal career as a staff attorney at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. Marianne has lectured widely and taught graduate, law and undergraduate level courses and is a widely published scholar.

Douglas Kysar will visit Pace Haub Law as a Haub Visiting Scholar over the course of the spring 2026 semester. Professor Douglas Kysar is Joseph M. Field ’55 Professor of Law at Yale Law School and faculty director of the Law, Environment and Animals Program. His teaching and research areas include torts, animal law, environmental law, climate change, products liability, and risk regulation. Professor Kysar was previously on the faculty at Cornell Law School. He has also served as a visiting professor at Indiana University, NYU, UCLA, Yale, Harvard, and in Singapore, Hong Kong, London, and Spain. Professor Kysar has authored several books and is a widely published scholar. During his time at Pace Haub Law, he will deliver the Lloyd K. Garrison Lecture on Environmental Law in April 2026. He will also serve as a guest lecturer, convene with faculty and students, and participate in the annual Pace-Maryland Colloquium.

James Salzman will visit Pace Haub Law as a Haub Visiting Scholar during the fall 2026 semester. Professor Salzman is the Donald Bren Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law with joint appointments at the UCLA School of Law and at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at UC Santa Barbara. During his time at Pace Haub Law, Professor Salzman will deliver the 2027 Lloyd K. Garrison Lecture on Environmental Law. Prior to his current appointment, he formerly held distinguished chairs at Duke University Law and Environment Schools. In thirteen books and more than 100 articles and book chapters, his broad-ranging scholarship has addressed topics spanning drinking water, policy design, and creating markets for ecosystem services. One of the most read environmental law professors in the world, his work has been translated into ten languages with over 115,000 article downloads. He frequently appears as a media commentator and has delivered lectures on every continent. He has served as a visiting law professor at Columbia, Harvard, Stanford, and Yale as well as at universities in Australia, China, Israel, Italy, Portugal, and Sweden.

Image

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, communities across the Bronx faced heightened risks due to pre-existing health disparities such as asthma, diabetes, and high mortality rates. Tiffany Henley, PhD, associate professor in the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences’ Public Administration program, recognized an urgent need: understanding how healthcare training and education could improve care for patients from marginalized groups.

Supported by a Pace interdisciplinary research grant, Professor Henley collaborated with colleagues from Pace University’s College of Health Professions and Montefiore Hospital to examine how frontline healthcare workers adapted during the crisis. Using a qualitative approach known as appreciative inquiry, the team explored not only what challenges providers faced, but also what worked well in supporting patient care.

“Our research revealed the power of collaboration and real-time learning,” Henley explains. “Healthcare professionals across departments—from nutritionists to critical care nurses—quickly adapted, shared information, and drew on institutional knowledge to meet the needs of patients.”

The findings, published in the Journal of Health and Human Services Administration, underscore the importance of interprofessional education, mentorship, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in reducing health disparities.

Henley brings these insights directly into her classroom, where students in her health policy, hospital administration, and special topics courses engage in research-driven projects, community health assessments, and problem-solving exercises. “I want my students to leave with practical skills and a mindset focused on evidence-based solutions,” she says.

Looking ahead, Henley is expanding her community-focused research while on sabbatical in Virginia. Partnering with Kennedy’s Angel Gowns, a nonprofit founded by her sister, she is leading a maternal health community assessment to evaluate the impact of community-based doulas on low-income families. With student collaboration and grant support, this project will generate reports and articles aimed at advancing maternal health equity.

For Henley, the motivation is personal. “I’ve always felt called to serve the community,” she reflects. “Through research and teaching, I see my role as helping others—whether it’s patients, students, or families—reach their full potential.”