Boch Lab
Boch Lab (Health-Justice Lab), led by Samantha Boch, PhD, MS, RN, primarily focuses on improving health, policy and care service delivery for children and families impacted by incarceration, community violence and other social risk factors. The Health-Justice Lab works closely with the Health Initiatives for Justice-Involved Families at Nationwide Children's Hospital. If your child or family is impacted by incarceration, please go here:Resources For Families of Justice-Involved Parents and Youth.
We research this topic because the United States has maintained one of the highest incarceration rates in the world.
The Health Justice Lab values lived experiences of incarceration, community involvement, engagement, co-design and learning health systems methodologies to conduct science with individuals, families and organizations impacted by incarceration. We have leveraged millions of pediatric medical records, national datasets, qualitative interviews, artificial intelligence and multidisciplinary teams to conduct this work.
We do research to help better understand the impact of incarceration, and to better serve and care for families affected.
Inside Boch Lab
Featured Publications
- Sezgin E, Boch S. The pediatric AI readiness framework: bridging evidence to practice in pediatric artificial intelligence. Front Artif Intell. 2026;9:1800047. doi: 10.3389/frai.2026.1800047. eCollection 2026. PubMed PMID: 42147040; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC13176136.
- Murnan A, Duah H, Nidey N, Wijesooriya J, Manchak S, Boch S, West End Community Research Advisory Board (WE-CRAB). The Promise of Integrating Health and Corrections Datasets: A Short Report on Familial Impact of Parental Justice System Involvement. American Journal of Criminal Justice. 2026/03. doi: 10.1007/s12103-026-09902-6.
- Randolph SD, Ramos SR, Boch SJ, Choi KR, Litchman ML, Coleman-Minahan K, Clark-Cutaia MN, Epps F. Advancing health equity through strategic communication: A call to action from the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship Nurse Leaders and Innovators. Nurs Outlook. 2026 Mar;73(6S):102663. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2025.102663. PubMed PMID: 41771627.
- Murnan A, Herbell K, Moscato EL, Boch SJ, Olsavsky AL, Knight M, Brown JL, Butsch Kovacic M. Infusing co-design with ADAPT-ITT: adapting interventions with populations experiencing health disparities. Res Involv Engagem. 2026 Feb 2;12(1). doi: 10.1186/s40900-026-00842-3. PubMed PMID: 41630006; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12954912.
- Rose DM, Yang J, Chavez L, Jones L, Schneider JH, Ding K, Boch S, Yilmazer T, Slesnick N, Kelleher K. "You're never going to get a second chance if someone doesn't give you a second chance" perspectives and experiences of landlords and advocates on implementing HOME among youth experiencing homelessness. Front Public Health. 2025;13:1686263. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1686263. eCollection 2025. PubMed PMID: 41323590; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12660081.
Collaborate With Our Team
If you're interested in collaboration, please email us atFeatured Research Projects
Dr. Boch serves as co-principal investigator on a program grant evaluating hospital-based violence intervention program services in four agencies in Ohio (University of Cincinnati PI: Dr. Brittany Hayes).
Funded by the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services.
Using linked electronic health and child welfare record data, surveys and qualitative interviews, this study is focused on better understanding the health and health care of children in foster care who also experience parental justice involvement.
The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital CHECK (Comprehensive Health Evaluations for Cincinnati’s Kids) Foster Care Center Medical Director Mary Greiner, MD, MS, and Scientific Director for Child Welfare Research Sarah Beal, PhD, Boch and Ebony Underwood of WE GOT US NOW are collaborative team members on this project.
Funded by the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators, this fellowship program recognizes and advances early-to-mid-career nursing scholars and innovators with a high potential to accelerate leadership in nursing research, practice, education, policy and entrepreneurship.
Dr. Boch serves as the lead evaluator on a program grant focused on incarcerated fatherhood education and wraparound social and health support services for their children and families. Dr. Rodgers (in the Health Justice Lab) volunteers her time for Family Engagement Day.
Funded by the Department of Justice; The Franklin Co. Board of Commissioner’s Office of Justice Policy and Programs is the primary awardee (COO Melissa Pierson).
