Dr. Saleem is an Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. She earned her PhD in Clinical-Community Psychology from the George Washington University and completed an APA accredited internship, with a specialization in trauma, at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Prior to Stanford, Dr. Saleem was a Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow and a University of California Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California Los Angeles in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies and the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, with affiliation in the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Georgia State University.
 

Dr. Saleem’s research examines the influence of racial stressors and culturally relevant practices on the psychological health, academic success, and well-being of Black adolescents and other youth of color. Dr. Saleem uses a strengths-focused and community-based lens in her research to study contextual nuance in the process and benefits of ethnic-racial socialization. She also explores factors in the family, school, and community contexts that can help youth manage the consequences of racial stress and trauma. Her current studies examine the utilization and benefits of ethnic-racial socialization across the school ecology. Dr. Saleem uses her research in each of these areas to inform the development and adaptation of programs and school-based interventions focused on managing racial stressors, eradicating mental health and academic racial disparities, and promoting resilience among historically marginalized and racially diverse children and adolescents. Dr. Saleem is a visiting scholar to the American Psychological Association RESilience Initiative and serves in other positions focused on inclusion, equity and social justice. 

Dr. Saleem is originally from the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area. In her free time, she enjoys participating in outdoor activities, traveling, trying new crafts, spending time with family and friends, and exploring different cultural cuisines. She is a self-proclaimed dessert connoisseur.