Professor Barbarin's research focused on the development of culturally sensitive assessments of psychological disorders in African-American and Latino children. He worked with the Detroit Department of Human Services' Head Start program to design and implement a program of universal preventive screening of psychological and social risks. In South Africa and Uganda, he pursued projects related to culture and children's mental health, and many of his papers examine the interplay of the social, emotional, and academic development of African-American children. From 1996 until January 2000, he was the University's executive director of South African Initiatives, working with students from professional schools interested in research service projects in southern Africa.
