Davis-Kean is a psychology professor at the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and a research professor at SRC and Research Center for Group Dynamics. Her research examines the various pathways that socioeconomic status (SES) of parents relates to the outcomes of their children. Her primary focus is on parental educational attainment and how it can influence the structure of the home environment and changes in cognitive outcomes in individuals throughout childhood, adolescence, and the transition to adulthood. She started her University of Michigan career at SRC as a research investigator with the Panel Study of Income Dynamics where she was hired to create and manage the Child Development Supplement. In 2025, Davis-Kean was elected to a three-year term as president of the Association of Psychological Science.