Shanaé Burch is a doctoral student in health education at Columbia University. She is an alumna of Emerson College and Harvard University where she earned her B.F.A in Acting and Ed.M in Arts in Education respectively. Shanaé’s research in health behavior will explore the effects of arts participation and cultural engagement on health outcomes. Shanaé’s interests include the use of theater and storytelling as a tool to examine and address complex issues such as the social determinants of health, and her central focus is to conduct research on how social connectedness and creativity translates to improving health literacy and overall well-being. Shanaé is proud to be a Gates Millennium Scholar, RWJF Health Policy Research Scholar, as well as member of Actors' Equity Association. She currently resides in NYC where her identities as a theater-maker and long-distance runner can equally thrive.