A skilled facilitator and mixed-methods methodologist, Barbara-Shae specializes in research that assesses stakeholder needs, evaluates museum experiences and program impact, and explores themes of belonging and place. Her work is driven by a passion for the visual arts and their power to shape perspectives and foster connections.

She has led and co-led research for the Obama Foundation, the Barr Foundation, the City of Charlotte, The Field Museum, The Norman Rockwell Museum, and Museum Hue. She uses research methods that emphasize co-creation and dynamic partnerships between cultural institutions and their communities.

Before joining Slover Linett at NORC, Barbara-Shae was conducting doctoral research investigating how social background, personality, and cognition influence art perception. This work inspired her 2017 TEDx Talk, The Color Line: Black and White Aesthetic Values, and the 2020 exhibition When They See Us, What Do They See? Perspectives on Black Art at the Paul R. Jones Museum. She is the lead author of a chapter on aesthetic preference and perception in Creativity, Innovation, and Change Across Cultures and has published in peer-reviewed journals on topics including health care access, cognitive aging, and the relationship between aesthetic experience and personal background.