Dr. Andrew Papachristos

Biography

Andrew Papachristos is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and a Faculty Fellow at Northwestern's Institute for Policy Research. He serves as the Faculty Director of the Corners: Center for Neighborhood Engaged Research & Science. A Chicago native, he is one of the world’s leading experts applying network science to the study of crime, violence, policing, and urban neighborhoods. With over fifteen years of experience in engaged research within Chicago, he has worked closely with community groups as well as state and local criminal justice agencies, schools, hospitals, and governments. His research includes evaluations of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Chicago Group Violence Reduction Strategy, and models of gun violence prevention like the CureViolence initiative. Papachristos is completing a manuscript on the evolution of Black street gangs and politics in Chicago from the 1950s to the early 2000s. He has authored over 50 articles, with his work published in leading journals such as JAMA, the American Journal of Sociology, Criminology, and the American Journal of Public Health. His research has been featured in notable publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the Chicago Tribune. He has received numerous accolades, including the National Science Foundation’s Early CAREER Award and the American Society of Criminology’s “Young Scholar” Award. Before joining Northwestern, he was a Professor of Sociology at Yale University and the Founding Director of the Policy Lab. Andrew earned his Bachelor's degree from Loyola University of Chicago and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Research Interests