EMERGE Innova+ions Lab
EMpowering Youth through Equity-Driven Research,
Ground-Up Innovation & Engaged Communities
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UNITED BY A BOLD VISION
UNITED BY A BOLD VISION
The EMERGE Innova+ions Lab is a pioneering research hub committed to designing, testing, and scaling digital health and community‑based interventions. Our work tackles the intertwined challenges of violence and mental health comorbidities, supporting youth and their families across the lifespan.
OUR NORTH STAR
"It is easier to build strong children
than to repair broken men."
::: FREDERICK DOUGLASS (c. 1817–1895)
American social reformer, abolitionist,
orator, writer, and statesman
FOCUS AREAS
Youth and Family Mental Health
We explore how digital therapeutics can expand access to personalized, culturally grounded mental health care that meets the realities of modern life.
Trauma & Interpersonal Violence
We integrate technology and neuroscience to advance evidence‑based trauma therapies that build resilience and reshape prevention strategies for dating violence, firearm violence, intimate partner abuse, and aggression.
Stress Embedding & Biobehavioral Pathways
We examine how neighborhood disadvantage and overlapping stressors become biologically embedded—shaping the gut microbiome, disrupting HPA‑axis regulation, and influencing long‑term mental and behavioral health—while developing interventions that can buffer these effects and support youth resilience.
The BrotherlyACT App
BrotherlyACT is our youth‑centered violence‑prevention app designed to strengthen life skills, emotional regulation, and healthy decision‑making among Black boys ages 10–14. Early pilot testing shows strong engagement, high usability ratings, and promising improvements in conflict‑management skills and attitudes toward violence. BrotherlyACT is now available as a test version on the App Store, Google Play, and in a web‑based format, making it easy for youth, families, and community partners to explore and provide feedback as we continue refining the program.
LAB PHOTO GALLERY
CURRENT PROJECTS
The BrotherlyACT App - Built for resilience. Backed by research. BrotherlyACT™ is a first-of-its-kind digital tool designed to help young boys and men navigate trauma, build life skills, and resist violence on their own terms. With real talk, daily tools, and community care in your pocket, BrotherlyACT™ meets youth where they are and walks with them toward where they want to go.
FatherlyACT is a unique program that combines father-only sports and physical activity curriculum with an online father-child companion program to reduce and prevent the intergenerational transmission of domestic violence and strengthen bonds between fathers and their children in the aftermath of family and domestic violence.
The TAMI (Technology and Adolescent Mental Health Internship) Program is a youth-centered internship that introduces high school students to mental health research, digital innovation, and community action. Through interactive workshops and mentorship, participants explore how technology can support mental wellness and prevent violence among their peers.
RESEARCH & COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
RESEARCH & COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
Chuka Nestor Emezue, PhD, MPH, MPA, CHES® (Lab Director)
Wrenetha A. Julion, Ph.D., MPH, RN, FAAN, CNL
Adaobi Anakwe, PhD, MPH
Dale Dan-Irabor, PhD
Andrew Paul Froilan MSN, RN
Rickey Layfield, Urban Male Network
Aaron Dunlap, MSc
Hekademeia Research Solutions (Technology Partner)
Tara Wilkes, BSN, RN, CCRN
Rickey Layfield, MEd, VP Urban Male Network
Marlon Haywood, Ed.D, M.S.Ed; CEO Urban Male Network
FUNDERS + COMMUNITY PARTNERS
FUNDERS + COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Rush to Progress Pilot Award (2025)
Cohn Family Foundation
Rita & Alex Hillman Foundation
Kellogg Foundation
Rush-BMO Institute for Health Equity (RBIHE)
Chicago Chronic Condition Engagement Network (C3EN Pilot Grant; NIMHD P50)
Institute for Translational Medicine (ITM, Pilot Grant, part of the National Institutes of Health/National Center for Advancing Translational Science-funded CTSA program)
JOIN OUR TEAM
JOIN OUR TEAM
If you are a Rush graduate student, a prospective Ph.D. or DNP student, or a prospective master's student and want to know more about potential research opportunities, email our Lab Director (chuka_emezue@rush.edu). Applications for Rush University’s College of Nursing programs are due January 1st.
FAQ
FAQ
1. What is the EMERGE Innova+ions Lab?
The EMERGE Innovations Lab is a research and design hub focused on developing equity-centered digital tools and interventions that promote mental health, prevent violence, and foster healing among youth and families—especially those impacted by structural racism, trauma, and systemic neglect. We bridge science, technology, and lived experience to create solutions that matter.
2. What does “EMERGE” stand for?
EMERGE is an acronym for: EMpowering Youth through Equity-Driven Research, Ground-Up Innovation & Engaged Communities. We support work that is grounded in evidence, co-created with communities, and bold in its vision for youth futures.
3. Who leads the Lab?
The Lab is led by Dr. Chuka Emezue, an Assistant Professor and nurse scientist whose work centers on youth/family violence prevention, digital mental health, fatherhood, and Black family well-being. He collaborates with an interdisciplinary team of youth advisors, clinicians, researchers, technologists, and community partners.
4. What kind of projects are developed at EMERGE?
We design, test, and evaluate trauma-informed tools and programs including:
BrotherlyACT: A digital healing and violence prevention app for young Black males
FatherlyACT: A family-based domestic violence intervention for fathers and their children
SafeRoots: A tech-enabled program addressing co-occurring violence and substance use
TAMI Program: A youth internship training students in digital mental health research
Experimental interventions involving the gut-brain axis, VR storytelling, and AI-driven tools
5. Who do you serve?
Our work centers young people aged 10–25, particularly Black youth, boys, and men of color, and families navigating community violence, discrimination, and intergenerational trauma. We work closely with schools, clinics, community groups, and justice-adjacent systems.
6. What makes our Lab different?
Translational: Turning research into real-world impact
Trauma-informed: Prioritizing safety, dignity, and healing
Community-rooted: Co-designing with those most impacted
Technologically bold: Using tools youth already engage with—apps, games, social media, wearable data
Rigorously evaluated: Anchored in science, theory, and equity
7. Is the Lab open to collaboration?
Yes. We welcome partnerships across sectors, including community-based organizations, schools, researchers, developers, funders, and youth leaders. If you are committed to justice-centered innovation, we would love to connect.
8. How do I get involved?
Youth & Parents: Join our pilot studies, attend info sessions, or apply for internships
Researchers & Practitioners: Collaborate on studies, grant proposals, or curriculum design
Funders & Philanthropies: Support our growing pipeline of scalable innovations
Students: Apply to work with us as a research assistant, intern, or mentee
9. Where is the EMERGE Innova+ions Lab based?
We are housed within the Rush University College of Nursing in Chicago, with community-based research sites across the city and partnerships that extend nationally.
10. What is next for EMERGE?
We are expanding our research portfolio into:
Precision-prevention approaches using biosocial data
Cross-national violence prevention research
Digital therapeutics commercialization
Creative tools like youth-designed comic books, emotion cards, and animated video guides.
We are constantly evolving—because our youth deserve nothing less.
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