Santi adalah Direktur dan Peneliti Utama PUSKAPA (Pusat Kajian dan Advokasi Perlindungan dan Kualitas Hidup Anak) – sebuah lembaga riset yang berbasis di Universitas Indonesia. Ia juga merupakan Adjunct Assistant Professor for Population and Family Health di Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, dan mengajar di Departemen Kriminologi FISIP Universitas Indonesia. Melalui PUSKAPA, Santi melakukan penelitian sebagai basis bertindak, melakukan advokasi dan implementasi program, dan memobilisasi kapasitas kaum muda untuk mereformasi sistem perlindungan anak dan kelompok rentan, administrasi kependudukan dan tata kelola data, dan akses pada keadilan. Di dunia akademik, Santi berfokus membangun ketelitian ilmiah dan etika dalam bahasan keadilan sosial, dan berupaya memajukan ilmu pengetahuan lewat riset, pengajaran, mentoring, dan menghasilkan publikasi yang dapat diakses cuma-cuma.

• Kusumaningrum, S., Siagian, C., & Beazley, H. (2021). Children during the COVID-19 pandemic: children and young people’s vulnerability and wellbeing in Indonesia. Children’s Geographies, 1-11. doi: 10.1080/14733285.2021.1900544
• Kusumaningrum, S., Patunru, A., Siagian, C., and Bennouna, C. (2021). A Child’s Growth is a Nation’s Growth: Children’s Well-being and Inequality in Indonesia. In Barichello, R., Patunru, A., & R., Schwindt (Eds.), Globalization, Poverty, and Income Inequality: Insights from Indonesia. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press
• Baumont, M., Wandasari, W., Agastya, N. L. P. M., Findley, S., & Kusumaningrum, S. (2020). Understanding childhood adversity in West Sulawesi, Indonesia. Child Abuse & Neglect, 107, 104533. doi:https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104533
• Arifiani, S. D., Handayani, S. A., Baumont, M., Bennouna, C., & Kusumaningrum, S. (2019). Assessing large-scale violence against children surveys in selected Southeast Asian countries: A scoping review. Child Abuse & Neglect, 93, 149-161. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.05.005
• Duff, P., Kusumaningrum, S., & Stark, L. (2016). Barriers to birth registration in Indonesia. The Lancet Global Health, 4(4), e234-e235. doi:10.1016/ S2214-109X(15)00321-6
• Jackson, M., Duff, P., Kusumaningrum, S., & Stark, L. (2014). Thriving beyond survival: Understanding utilization of perinatal health services as predictors of birth registration: A cross-sectional study. BMC International Health and Human Rights, 14(1). doi: 10.1186/s12914-014-0038-3

• Melalui PUSKAPA, Santi telah mengelola berbagai hibah riset dan kemitraan strategis termasuk dari Columbia University, Australian Government program AIPJ dan KOMPAK, USAID, UNICEF, The Asia Foundation, World Bank, UNDP, ILO, dan sebagainya.
• 2017. Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Award for Excellence in Global Health A school-wide award presented annually to Doctorate level student for academic excellence and the potential for future contributions in global health.
• 2019. Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Award for Excellence in Global Health A school-wide award presented annually to Doctorate level student for academic excellence and the potential for future contributions in global health.