Ashlee Flanagan

Bio

Dr. Ashlee Flanagan is a postdoctoral fellow at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where she is dedicated to including Black perspectives and experiences in autism research. With over a decade of experience using qualitative methods, Dr. Flanagan examines the narratives of Black caregivers and Black youth to explore their developmental experiences and perspectives. During her graduate training at New York University, Dr. Flanagan worked as a research assistant for Dr. Diane Hughes, a renowned developmental psychologist known for her work on racial and ethnic socialization processes and parent-child communications. Inspired by the stories she heard in the lab, Dr. Flanagan realized she wanted her research to be rooted in storytelling, a long-standing tradition in Black culture.

Today, Dr. Flanagan’s research focuses on autism, Black identity development, and Black mothering. She brings these areas to life by utilizing and developing culturally sensitive research methods, exploring systemic experiences of Black mothering, and implementing Black feminist approaches to understand the role of community policing on psychological development. Her work aims to offer culturally sensitive and transparent research frameworks that others can replicate and build upon, partnering with the individuals her research aims to serve, such as autistic individuals and Black mothers. Dr. Flanagan is committed to sharing Black stories and experiences through sound science, fostering an inclusive and collaborative research environment at CHOP.