Biography
Jenae Nelson, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Brigham Young University, following postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard Medical School (Brigham and Women’s Hospital) and Baylor University. As a descendant of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa (Ojibwe), Dr. Nelson’s work is informed by Anishinaabe perspectives on relationality, interconnectedness, and holistic well-being. Dr. Nelson integrates Indigenous epistemologies into her research on developmental and social psychology. Her interdisciplinary background bridges the psychology of religion, neuroscience, and cultural psychology to explore mechanisms of human flourishing and "Mino-Bimaadiziwin" (the good life).
Research Interests
Dr. Nelson's research focuses on character and spiritual development across adolescence and emerging adulthood, drawing on longitudinal and experimental methods. She examines how purpose, identity, and relational virtues—such as gratitude, indebtedness, and compassion—promote positive development. Integrating psychological science with theological, philosophical, and Indigenous frameworks, she advances a relational model of development that emphasizes connection to nature, others, and to God.
Dr. Nelson also co-leads the Worth and Excellence Initiative, an applied research and intervention effort spanning contexts such as prisons, management, medicine, youth sports, and mentoring, translating theory into practice to promote flourishing in real-world settings, including establishing competitive athletics experiences for underserved youth and developing indigenous-informed paradigms for well-being. She currently directs the Development of Character and Spirituality (DOCS) Lab, leading grant-funded initiatives that range from character interventions in youth sports (the Strong Youth Project) to the study of moral communities. Dr. Nelson is particularly invested in translational research that applies psychological science to real-world contexts.