Resilience, Intersectionality, Stigma, and Engagement (RISE) Lab

The RISE Lab focuses on Black queer people. Our approach is rooted in clinical health psychology, positive psychology, and diversity science with hopes to increase the understanding of Black queer individuals in order to develop culturally responsive interventions to mitigate health disparities among this population. Our research lab focuses on the following areas:

1. Build upon the growing intersectionality literature regarding the navigation of multiple marginalized identities by (a) outlining the process of how Black queer folx attain identity achievement and (b) identifying inhibiting and facilitating factors of this process. Moreover, exploration into how multiple marginalized identities influence health behaviors and outcomes among Black queer individuals within the context of other syndemic factors that increase risk for poor health outcomes.

2. Describe existing strengths of Black queer people as well as investigate how other positive psychological factors influence health behaviors and outcomes among this population.

3. Translate the aforementioned findings into culturally responsive interventions to therapeutically bolster adaptively coping with minority stress and increase engagement in health-promoting behaviors among Black queer people. Further, this work intends to develop interpersonal and community-based interventions that engender greater knowledge, skills, compassion, and positive attitudes toward Black queer individuals within social settings where they frequently encounter stigma.