Rebecca Cipollina, Ph.D.
As a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA) at Yale University (funded by NIMH), my research seeks to document key mechanisms through which belonging to a socially derogated (i.e., stigmatized group) worsens feelings of belonging and the mental health outcomes of people with non-visible and visible identities (e.g., LGBTQ+ identity, disability).
Using my training in social psychological research methods and health psychology, my research documents when and why discussions of stigmatized identities are avoided despite being beneficial to stigmatized groups. For instance, my research program documents the need for explicit identity-affirming cues (and discussions) in academic, organizational, and healthcare settings to combat disparities in these settings.
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In 2022, I received my PhD in Social Psychology with an Interdisciplinary Health focus from Rutgers University (New Brunswick campus). Prior to my PhD, I received an M.S. from Rutgers University and my B.A. from Hunter College (City University of New York) with majors in psychology and sociology.
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I am comfortable with both she or they pronouns.
