Her research considers cultural and contextual factors that promote or inhibit optimal learning in schools. She is especially interested in harnessing advances in cognitive science to develop school-based interventions to support underperforming students. Her work has been funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, and Institute for Education Sciences. Serpell is also the co-editor of the Handbook of Culturally Responsive School Mental Health: Advancing Research, Training, Practice, and Policy (2013).