Rabiatu Barrie

Rabiatu E. Barrie, PhD, is a counseling psychologist, community-engaged scholar, and Assistant Professor of Family Science in the University of Maryland School of Public Health. Trained to work across the lifespan, she specializes in childhood trauma and violence exposure, racial trauma and stress, and the mental health and well-being of Black boys and men.

Dr. Barrie’s scholarship is grounded in a love ethic that affirms Black humanity, strengthens communities, and help co-create the conditions in which Black children and families can thrive. Her work examines how Black boys develop identity, navigate masculinity, and adapt in the context of community violence and structural inequity. She also studies the relationships, cultural strengths, and community resources that protect their mental health and support healing.

As founder and director of the Black Love through Advocacy for Children and Kinfolk (BLACK) Health Research Lab, Dr. Barrie partners with young people, families, community leaders, hospitals, and grassroots organizations to ensure that research is shaped by those most affected by the problems it seeks to address. Her work bridges psychology, public health, and family science while centering the expertise of communities.

Across her research, teaching, clinical training, and service, she advances a justice-oriented vision of science that moves beyond survival toward safety, dignity, connection, and collective well-being. Her career reflects a deep commitment to using scholarship in service of liberation for Black folx.