As a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA) at Yale University (funded by NIMH), my research seeks to promote health equity by examining how belonging to a socially derrogated (i.e., stigmatized group) shapes the health outcomes of people with visible stigmas (e.g., race, overweight) and non-visible stigmas (e.g., LGBTQ+ identity, mental illness).

 

Using my expertise in social psychological research methods and health psychology, my research documents when and why discussions of stigmatized identites are avoided despite being beneficial to stigmatized groups' health. My work strives to improve stigmatized group member's feelings of inclusion by promoting beneficial discussions of stigmatized identities and behaviors. For example, in one research line, I have shown that discussing stigmatized identities can validate and support individuals with non-visible stigmas. In another line, I document contextual cues and stereotypes that can be targeted to improve stigmatized groups' experiences with healthcare providers, by promoting identity disclosure and comfort talking about taboo topics. 

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