Her primary research focus lies within social epidemiology and the social demography of health disparities. She investigates the intersection of race, ethnicity, and nativity, and its implications on population health and well-being. Much of her research to date has focused on sub-group differences in chronic health outcomes among foreign-born and native born populations. Her recent research examines the relationship between adult health outcomes and biopsychosocial processes through the life course. Shauna is particularly interested in modeling the effects of daily racial hassles from childhood through adulthood and its impact on adult health and social welfare. She uses quantitative methods to determine the long term impact of inequality and a biopsychosocial framework for evaluating the effectiveness of program and policy interventions.