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The Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Health (SOGI Health) Research Group

Supporting the Development and Health of LGBTQ Young People

Pride flag

The Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Health (SOGI Health) Research Group is affiliated with the Department of Family Science and the University of Maryland Prevention Research Center. The research group convenes faculty, students, and community partners in an effort to better understand and support the positive development and health of LGBTQ young people.

Department: Family Science
Room Number: 1142W
Director: Jessica Fish 

Office Phone Number: (301) 405-4008
Email: jnfish@umd.edu 
 

LYFS

People: Jessica Fish (PI), Mia Smith-Bynum (co-I), Natasha Williams, Zack Berman, Pond Ezra

Funding: Lesbian Health Fund (GLMA); The Maryland Catalyst Fund (UMD)

This project explores the potential protective effects of positive parental messaging regarding LGBTQ+ identities and whether these practices buffer the negative effects of LGBTQ-related discrimination on mental health and substance use.

MDH

People: Jessica Fish (PI), Bradley Boekeloo (co-I), Cynthia Baur (co-I), Devlon Jackson, Sandra Saperstein

The Implementing Tobacco Control Strategies to Achieve Health Equity: Engaging LGBTQ Communities in Maryland project aims to reduce tobacco-related health disparities in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) communities in Prince George’s and Montgomery County by developing comprehensive strategies in collaboration with groups that are inclusive of and reach LGBTQ communities. The UMD team will work in partnership with local community organizations, health departments, and state tobacco and control officials to develop, disseminate, and evaluate LGBTQ-inclusive tobacco prevention and control efforts in PG and Montgomery County. 

project

People:  Meg D. Bishop (PI), Jessica Fish, Samantha A. Moran, Stephen T. Russell, Rodman E. Turpin, and Elizabeth M. Aparicio

Funding: National Institutes of Health (F32AA030194)

This multi-method project examines developmental differences in the prevalence and mechanisms of alcohol use among adolescents with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Through strategic dissemination efforts, the results of this project will address pressing public health concerns regarding sexual and gender minority youth alcohol use.

COVID-19

People: Long Doan (PI); Liana Sayer (co-I); Jessica Fish (co-I)
Funding: National Science Foundation (SES-2029963); University of Maryland Vice President for Research 

The Assessing the Social Consequences of COVID-19 (ASCC) study examines the impacts of COVID-19 and social distancing efforts on behavior, time spent with others, use of technology, and mental and physical wellbeing, with a particular interest in how these effects vary by gender, sexuality, family structure, race/ethnicity, and immigrant status.

Publications:  

  • Fish, J. N., +Salerno, J., +Williams, N. D., Rinderknecht, G., +Drotning, K. J., Sayer, L., & Long, D. (2021). Sexual minority disparities in health and wellbeing as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic differ by sexual identity. LGBT Health,8(4), 263-272. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/lgbt.2020.0489. PMCID: PMC8213002. 
  • +Salerno, J. P., Doan, L., Sayer, L., +Drotning, K., +Rinderknecht, G., & #Fish, J. N. (in press). Changes in mental health and well-being are associated with living arrangements with parents during COVID-19 among sexual minority young persons in the US. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000520
  • +Drotning, K., Doan, L., Sayer, L. C., Fish, J. N., & ·Rinderknecht, G. (in press). Not all homes are safe: Family violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Family Violence. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-022-00372-y 
flags

People: Jessica Fish (PI), Lauryn Dunkwu, Sydney McFarlane 

Funding: MPRC Seed Grant, FSRA Grant 

This project seeks to identify how LGBTQ-focused state policies are associated with youth health (e.g., substance use, mental health) and related experiences (e.g., victimization). As part of this work, we also explore different approaches to measuring policy and climate in association with LGBTQ youth health.  

Chalks of different colors

People: Jessica Fish (M-PI), Ryan Watson (University of Connecticut)

Funding: NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse (1R03DA046827)

This study examines how sexual and gender minority youth experiences of distal and proximal minority stressors are associated with substance use (i.e., alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and polysubstance use) and the potential protective influence of family and teacher support. 

Publications: 

  • Mereish, E. H., ·Parra, L. A., Watson, R. J., & Fish, J. N. (2022). Subtle minority stress and depressive symptoms among sexual and gender minority adolescents of color: Mediating role of self-esteem and sense of mastery. Prevention Science, 23, 142-153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-021-01294-9 
  • Poteat, V. P., Fish, J. N., & Watson, R. J. (2021). Gender-sexuality alliances as a moderator for the association between victimization, depressive symptoms, and drinking behavior among LGBTQ+ youth. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 229(B), 109-140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109140. PMCID: PMC8665138 
  • Poteat, V. P., Watson, R. J., & Fish, J. N. (2021). Teacher support moderates associations among sexual identity outness, victimization, and academic performance among LGBQ+ youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 50, 1634-1648. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01455-7. PMCID: PMC8350887 
  • Watson, R. J., Fish, J. N., Poteat, V. P., Wheldon, C. W., +Cunningham, C. A., Puhl, R., & Eaton, L. A. (2021). Teacher support, victimization, and alcohol use among sexual and gender minority youth: considering ethnoracial identity. Prevention Science. 22, 590-601. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-021-01216-9. PMCID: PMC8195836 
  • Watson, R. J., Fish, J. N., Denary, W., +Caba, A., +Cunningham, C., & Eaton, L. A. (2021). LGBTQ state policies: A lever for reducing SGM youth substance use and bullying. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 221,108659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-021-01216-9. PMCID: PMC8026721 
  • Watson, R. J., Fish, J. N., +McKay, T., +Allen, S., Eaton, L., & Puhl, R. M. (2020). Substance use among a national sample of LGBTQ adolescents: Intersections of sex assigned at birth and gender identity. LGBT Health, 7(1), 37-46. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2019.0066. PMCID: PMC6983732. 
  • Watson, R. J., Fish, J. N., Poteat, V. P., & +Rathus, T. (2019). Sexual and gender minority youth alcohol use: Within-group differences in associations with internalized stigma and victimization. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48(12), 2403–2417. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-019-01130-y. PMCID: PMC6872943. 
  • Wheldon, C. W., Watson, R. J., Fish, J. N., & Garamel, K. (2019). Cigarette smoking among youth at the intersection of sexuality orientation and gender identity. LGBT Health, 6(5), 235-241. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2019.0005. PMCID: PMC6909748.
rainbow

People: Bradley Boekeloo (PI), Jessica Fish (co-I), Elizabeth Aparicio (co-I), Richard Shin (co-I), Mia Smith-Bynum (co-I), Rodman Turpin (co-I) 

The core research project is a randomized control trial focused on refining, evaluating, and disseminating selected resources for assessing and improving the experiences of LGBT people engaged in mental health care services. Want to know more, check out the University of Maryland Prevention Research Center.  

 

Publications:

  • Fish, J. N., King-Marshall, E. C., Williams, N. D., Aparicio, E. M., Tralka, H. M., & Boekeloo, B. O. (In press). What motivates community mental and behavioral health organizations to participate in LGBTQ+ cultural competency trainings? American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000641.                                        
  • Fish, J. N. & Mittal, M. (2021). Mental health care providers are essential to the public health workforce and need support in the wake of COVID-19. Public Health Reports, 136(1), 14-17. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033354920965266. PMC7856369                                      
  • Turpin, R., Williams, N., Akré, E. R., Boekeloo, B., Fish, J. N. (2022). Trends in health care access and experiences: Differential gains across intersections of sexual identity and sex post-marriage equality. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health15, 5075. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095075. PMC9101359
  • Fish, J. N., Turpin, R., Williams, N. D., & Boekeloo, B. O. (2021). Sexual identity differences in health care access and satisfaction: Findings from nationally representative data. American Journal of Epidemiology.190(7), 1281-1293. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwab012. PMC8522766  
  • Turpin, R., Williams, N. D., Akré, E. R., Boekeloo, B. O., & Fish, J. N. (2021). Differences in health care access and satisfaction across intersections of race/ethnicity and sexual identity. Academic Medicine, 96(11), 1592-1597. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000004243. PMC8867382   
  • Williams, N. D., Akre, E. R., Turpin, R., Boekeloo, B. O., & Fish, J. N. (2022). Sexual identity differences in mental healthcare need and access: Findings from nationally representative data. Psychiatric Services73, 456-459. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202100045. PMC9213076                                                                                                                  
project

People: Natasha D. Williams (PI), Jessica Fish (Committee Chair)

Funding: RWJF Health Policy Research Scholars

This multi-method dissertation project examines mental health disparities (Study 1) and treatment utilization patterns (Study 2) at the intersection of sex, sexual identity, and race/ethnicity using population-based health data. Study 3 employs grounded theory methods to develop a conceptual model of how and why Black LGB young adults manage their mental health within, or outside of , traditional systems of care.

CW award Photo
Jessica Fish (she/her/hers)

Associate Professor, Family Science
Co-Director, University of Maryland Prevention Research Center

Dr. Jessica Fish is a human development and family science scholar whose research focuses on the health and well-being of sexual and gender minority (i.e., lesbian/gay, bisexual, and transgender) people and their families. Broadly, Dr. Fish studies the socio-cultural and interpersonal factors that shape the development and health of sexual and gender minority youth and adults. Her overarching goal is to identify modifiable factors that contribute to sexual and gender minority health disparities in order to inform developmentally-sensitive policies, programs, and prevention strategies that promote the health of sexual and gender minority people across the life course.

Affiliates 

Natasha Williams, Graduate Research Assistant of School of Public Health from the University of Maryland
Natasha Williams, MS, LMFT (she/her/hers)

Natasha Williams is a Chicago-based doctoral candidate in Family Science whose research focuses on the mental health of LGBTQ+ people. Specifically, she explores the mental health experiences of Black queer folx as well as factors that influence access to affirming mental health care. Natasha holds a license to practice marriage and family therapy and works part-time doing program evaluation for progressive, mission-driven organizations. She has been the TA or instructor of record for courses in statistics; family inequality; human sexuality; and behavior disorders. She holds an M.S. from Purdue University Northwest and a B.S. from Florida State University. In her free time, Natasha enjoys spending time outdoors, experimenting with global cuisines, reading fiction, and watching football. 

 

 

 

Post Docs

Meg
 M. Bishop (they/them)

M. Bishop, PhD, is a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of Family Science at the University of Maryland, College Park. Their research leverages approaches at the nexus of developmental science, public health, and demography to understand the health and wellbeing of sexual and gender minority people across the life course. Dr. Bishop is interested in the developmental and intersectional contexts that shape relations between identity development, minority stress, and health among sexual and gender minority youth. Dr. Bishop’s current NIH-funded research examines developmental differences in alcohol use and misuse among youth at the intersection of gender, sexuality, and race/ethnicity. The goal of Dr. Bishop’s research is to inform programs and policies aimed at eliminating inequities experienced by sexual and gender minority people. Dr. Bishop holds a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Science from the University of Texas at Austin.  

 

Graduate Students

 

Samantha
Samantha Moran, LMSW (she/her/hers) 

Samantha is a Family Science doctoral student from Long Island, NY. She holds a B.S. in Family Science and Sociology from Towson University and an M.S.W. from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. During her M.S.W program, Samantha was a clinical behavioral health intern at Chase Brexton's Center for LGBTQ Health Equity. Currently, she is a Project Manager in the Psychology Department at UMBC where her research team develops and conducts trainings on various maternal and child health topics including substance use, mental health, parenting, and substance-exposed newborns. Samantha's research interests include the experience of sexual and gender minority youth in the context of the school system, and the importance of creating safer environments, inclusive curricula, and supportive measures that empower teachers and staff to affirm students. In her free time, she enjoys live music, long walks, reading thrillers, and visiting new coffee shops. 

 

 
pond
 Pond (they/them/theirs)

Pond Ezra is a second-year doctoral student in Family Science whose research focuses on pregnancy, birth, and parenting experiences among gender minorities. Specifically, they wish to explore how transgender parents, specifically seahorse dads, navigate parenting roles after birth; in what contexts does gender dysphoria influence pregnancy and birthing experiences, and how seahorse dads socialize their children about stigma and gender. Pond is currently leading a project that examines sexual minority youth's perceptions of their interactions and relationships with heterosexual fathers to better understand how tensions between masculinity and queerness can influence parent-youth dynamics. Additionally, Pond works on related projects that examine sexual socialization messages being sent and received by sexual minority youth in heterosexual-headed families.

 

 

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Lauryn Dunkwu

Lauryn Dunkwu is a first-year Health Policy and Management MPH and Global Health post-baccalaureate student at the University of Maryland, College Park. She has an undergraduate degree in Medical Biochemistry form the University of Benin, Nigeria, and a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Suffolk in England. Following completion of her undergraduate studies, Lauryn has worked as a Research/Programs Assistant supporting infections disease programs and research in West Africa and as a Program Coordinator in a Family Planning program that successfully improved contraceptive uptake for youth and teenage first-time mothers in 20 low-income communities in Nigeria by 55%. More recently, Lauryn worked as a Delivery Analyst at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, where she contributed problem-solving and analytical skills to the organization's Government Advising work. She is currently a Strategic Partnerships Intern with Families USA and Volunteer Researcher with the SOGI Health Lab. Lauryn's research interests cut across policy evaluation and impact, healthcare access barriers, their intersections with racial/ethnic minority LGBTQ+ populations, and the resulting impact on health outcomes. Outside of work and academia, Lauryn enjoys playing video games, supporting her favorite soccer team, and having a relaxed weekend by a campfire. 

 

Carter
Carter Carter (they/them) 

Carter is a second-year MPH student in the Biostatistics program at the University of Maryland. They have a B.S. in Public Health Science and a B.S. in Family Science. They are currently a project coordinator on a tobacco project aimed at addressing tobacco-related disparities in Black and Latinx youth and young adults in Prince Georges and Montgomery counties. Broadly, they are interested in the experiences of gender-diverse people and gender-affirming practices. In their free time, they enjoy cooking foods from their diverse background and going to the gym.

 

 

 

Undergraduate Students

Leah
Leah Young (she/her)

Leah is a senior at the University of Maryland who is pursuing a dual degree in Community Health and Psychology. She is also a first-year MPH student concentrating on health equity. During her time at Maryland she has volunteered for health equity advocacy organizations such as Free The Vaccine. Leah has also interned at a public health
nonprofit organization where she led a survey development project and conducted an independent research project about HIV disparities in Washington DC. Her research interests include studying the emotional well-being of those in ethically non-monogamous relationships, their sexual health behaviors, and how psychology of interpersonal relationships theories can be applied to them. In addition, she is also interested in what the implications are for child development when growing up in ENM families. In her free time, Leah likes to see old foreign films, visit art museums, and take naps with her cat, Oscar.

 

Ella's Headshot
Ella Sinciline (she/her)

Ella is a third year undergraduate student at the University of Maryland studying Sociology. Outside of the lab, she assists in educating others on the pervasiveness of heterosexism, racism, and intersections of marginalized identities through her undergraduate teaching assistantship for the course PSYC354: Multicultural Psychology. Her research interests include the psychological impact of anti-fat bias on queer communities, understanding and treating systemic oppression as trauma, and exploring the ways academic institutions uphold white supremacist values. In her free time, Ella can be found practicing yoga, reading memoirs, and taking care of her fiddle leaf fig tree, Figgy. 

 

         
Syd
   Sydney McFarlane (she/her)

           Sydney is a junior public health science major and Banneker Key scholar at University of Maryland. She has completed her honors citation as a student of UMD’s Honors Humanities program. Sydney also works on campus as a student supervisor at the university’s Service Center (4WORK). Her research interests include minority health, policy, and improving the American healthcare system. Outside of lab and school, Sydney can be found reading classics, practicing mindfulness techniques, or reviewing films on her letterboxd. 

Student Research Opportunities

I welcome the opportunity to work with graduate and undergraduate students interested in the intersection between sexual orientation, gender identity, and health. Volunteer and credit-based research assistantship positions are available in my research lab. If you are interested in joining the research lab, please fill out this form. 

If you are a prospective graduate student interested in working with me, please contact me at jnfish@umd.edu. 

Pollitt, A. M., Fish, J. N., & Watson, R. J. (2023). Measurement equivalence of family acceptance/rejection among sexual and gender minority youth by disclosure status. Journal of Family Psychology, 37(2),195-202. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001056.

Strang, J. F., Wallace, G. L., Michaelson, J. J., Fischbach, A. L., Thomas, T. R., Jack, A., Shen, J., Chen, D., Freeman, A., Knauss, M., Corbett, B. A., Kenworthy, L., Tishelman, A. C., Willing, L., McQuaid, G. A., Nelson, E. E., Toomey, R. B., McGuire, J. K., Fish, J. N., ... Yang, J. S. (in press). The gender self-report: a multidimensional gender characterization tool for gender-diverse and cisgender youth and adults. American Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001056.

Williams. N. D., Winer, B., Aparicio, E. M., Smith-Bynum, M. A., Boekeloo, B. O., #Fish, J. N. (in press). Professional expectations of provider LGBTQ competence: where we are and where we need to go. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/19359705.2022.2146825.

Fish, J. N. & Russell, S. T. (in press). The paradox of progress for sexual and gender diverse youth. Current Opinions in Psychology. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101498.

Fish, J. N., †Kapostasy, S., & Russell, S. T. (in press). Be You! Collaborative community research efforts to empower LGBTQ+ youth in school settings. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538720.2022.2148036.

Fish, J. N., King-Marshall, E. C., +Williams, N. D., Aparicio, E. M., Tralka, H. M., & Boekeloo, B. O. (2022). What motivates community mental and behavioral health organizations to participate in LGBTQ+ cultural competency trainings? American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 92(6), 647-656. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000641.

Mereish, E. H., Fish, J. N., & Watson, R. J. (2022). Intersectional minority stress and alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use among youth of color: Moderating role of family support. LGBT Health. 10(1). 18-25. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2021.0430

Fish, J. N., +Williams, N. D., McInroy, L. B., Paceley, M. S., ‡Edsall, R. N., ‡Devadas, J., †Birnel Henderson, S., & †Levine, D. S. (2022).  Q Chat Space: Assessing feasibility and acceptability of an internet-based community support program for LGBTQ youth. Prevention Science, 23, 130-141. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-021-01291-y. PMCID: PMC8420963 

Fish, J. N., +Bishop. M. D., Russell, S. T. (2021). Developmental differences in sexual orientation and gender identity-related substance use disparities: Findings from population-based data. Journal of Adolescent Health, 68 (6), 1162-1169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.10.023. PMCID: PMC8154626 

+Williams, N. D., & #Fish, J. N. (2020). The availability of LGBT-specific mental health and substance abuse treatment in the United States: Findings from two national surveys. Health Services Research, 55(6), 932-943. http://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.13559. PMCID: PMC7704474 

Fish, J. N., McInroy, L. B., Paceley, M. P. +Williams, N. D., †Henderson, S., †Levine, D. S., & ‡Edsall, R. N. (2020). “I'm kinda stuck at home with unsupportive parents right now”: LGBTQ youths' experiences with COVID-19 and the importance of online support. Journal of Adolescent Health, 67(3), 450-452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.06.002. PMCID: PMC7309741

Fish, J. N., & Exten, C. E. (2020). Sexual orientation differences in alcohol use disorder across the adult life course. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 59(3), 428-436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.04.012. PMCID: PMC7483372. 

Fish, J. N., & Russell, S. T. (2020). Sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts are unethical and harmful. American Journal of Public Health, 110(8), 1113-1114. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305765PMCID: PMC7349462. 

Fish, J. N., +Moody, R. Grossman, A. H., & Russell, S. T. (2019). LGBTQ youth-serving community-based organizations: Who participates and what difference does it make? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48(12), 2418-2431. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-019-01129-5. PMID: 31606828

New Project Aims to Reduce Tobacco Use Among Maryland’s LGBTQ Community

The UMD Prevention Research Center will partner with local community organizations, health departments, and state tobacco and control officials on an intervention to prevent tobacco use among LGBTQ people in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties.

https://sph.umd.edu/news/new-project-aims-reduce-tobacco-use-among-marylands-lg… about https://sph.umd.edu/news/new-project-aims-reduce-tobacco-use-among-marylands-lg…

Gender Affirming Policies Support Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth’s Health

The science is clear: transgender and gender diverse youth who have access to gender affirming care, particularly in schools, have better mental health and academic outcomes. Gender affirming care includes access to medical and school resources, a new statement of evidence from the Society for Research in Child Development says. 

https://sph.umd.edu/news/gender-affirming-policies-support-transgender-and-gend… about https://sph.umd.edu/news/gender-affirming-policies-support-transgender-and-gend…

 

UMD Research

University of Maryland New Directions Seed Grants Support New Research

The University of Maryland has announced seven New Directions awards to support research across the College Park campus. The projects span a broad range of disciplines and topics, ranging from the documentation of community heritage to the discovery of atomic catalysts.

 

 

 

Pride ribbons

UMD study says gender-affirming policies benefit student mental health

Gender-affirming policies can improve students’ mental health, according to a report co-led by Jessica Fish, a University of Maryland assistant professor in the family science department. “The science is quite clear: youth who are able to access gender-affirming treatments, and youth who are able to participate in sports that align with their gender identity … tend to fare better in their mental health and overall well-being,” said Fish, co-lead and deputy director for research and evaluation at the University of Maryland Prevention Research Center.

 

Hands together in the center

UMD Prevention Research Center hosts lecture on LGBTQ+ safety in schools

The University of Maryland Prevention Research Center hosted a webinar to share the work of the Stories and Numbers Project, a collaboration that promotes the safety and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ youth in schools.

 

 

Dr. Fish

Family Science Assistant Professor, Jessica Fish, Publishes Three Papers, and Receives Several Grants and Awards for LGBTQ+ Mental Health Research

Dr. Jessica Fish, an assistant professor in the Department of Family Science, has been busy. In recent months, she has published a slew of articles on LGBTQ+ mental health and substance abuse and has received multiple research grants from institutions like the National Institutes of Health.

 

 

 

Sad girl crying on set of stairs

Editorial: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Change Efforts are Unethical and Harmful

Two experts in LGBTQ and young adult mental health, Dr. Jessica Fish (UMD SPH) and Dr. Stephen T. Russel (UT, Austin) describe the serious harms that LGBTQ youth experience from so-called “conversion therapy” efforts in a new editorial published in the American Journal of Public Health.

 

View of building from outside in a sunny day

Don Milton and Jessica Fish Receive Seed Grants for COVID-19 Research

Don Milton, professor of environmental health, and Jessica Fish, assistant professor of family science, each received seed grants from the UMD Division of Research for COVID-19-related research. 


 

Pride umbrella

UMD Prevention Research Center Appoints New Executive Leaders

To advance its mission to support LGBTQ+ mental health, the University of Maryland Prevention Research Center (UMD-PRC) has appointed Dr. Elizabeth Aparicio, assistant professor of behavioral and community health as the Deputy Director of Clinical Training and Intervention and Dr. Jessica Fish, assistant professor of family science as Deputy Director for Research and Evaluation. 

 

Pride colors

Family Science Assistant Professor, Jessica Fish, Publishes Three Papers, and Receives Several Grants and Awards for LGBTQ+ Mental Health Research

In the past few months, Dr. Jessica Fish, an assistant professor in the Department of Family Science has published a slew of articles on LGBTQ+ mental health and substance abuse and has received multiple research grants from institutions like the National Institutes of Health.

 

Bradley Boekeloo, staff member of the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland

UMD Prevention Research Center to Focus on LGBTQ Mental Health with new $3.75M from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The University of Maryland Prevention Research Center (UMD-PRC) is working to improve mental health and health care for LGBTQ+ people with new funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Recent SOGI Health News Articles

New Project Aims to Reduce Tobacco Use Among Maryland’s LGBTQ Community

New Project Aims to Reduce Tobacco Use Among Maryland’s LGBTQ Community

The UMD Prevention Research Center will partner with local community organizations, health departments, and state tobacco and control officials on an intervention to prevent tobacco use among LGBTQ people in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. 

Gender Affirming Policies Support Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth’s Health

Gender Affirming Policies Support Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth’s Health

The science is clear: transgender and gender diverse youth who have access to gender affirming care, particularly in schools, have better mental health and academic outcomes. Gender affirming care includes access to medical and school resources, a new statement of evidence from the Society for Research in Child Development says. 

University of Maryland New Directions Seed Grants Support New Research

University of Maryland New Directions Seed Grants Support New Research

The University of Maryland has announced seven New Directions awards to support research across the College Park campus. The projects span a broad range of disciplines and topics, and includes a project led by Jessica Fish on Identifying Parental Sexual Orientation Socialization Strategies.