A Women and Gender Studies staff member who is a biology major received an OSCAR grant to work with Women and Gender Studies affiliate faculty, Dr. Lisa Lindley on a research project looking at stress, violence and discrimination at the intersection of gender, identity and race/ethnicity.
The student has an interest in public health which was sparked after participating in D.C. Public Health Case Challenge during Fall of 2017. They reached out to a staff of Women and Gender Studies and asked about research studies related to gender identity/expression & public health and that's how she met Dr. Lindley, who has been an excellent mentor.
Their study was one of the first to explore transgender college students’ experiences with stress, violence, and discrimination using an intersectional approach. Transgender college students, particularly transgender students of color, experienced significantly higher level of violence, discrimination, and suicide ideation compared to cisgender white students. For the students, it was surprising to see the numbers being so significantly high. Seeing these numbers validated what their team already knew, that transgender people of color experience a significantly higher level of discrimination that impacts their physical and mental wellbeing. They hope that the research's result will help reform campus climate for transgender college students and offer resources for their overall wellbeing.
The student and Dr. Lindley presented a poster of their research at the OSCAR Celebration on May 8, 2018 and will also present it at the American College of Health Association Annual Meeting on May 31, 2018.
Working with Dr. Lindley and Dr. Weinstein, who also provided them insights on a weekly basis. Both professors were excellent in their fields so the student was able to learn a lot from them but also learned about their huge contribution to public health.
As a prospective physician, the student hoped that by learning about the limitation that exists in our existing studies, we can place further emphasis on the importance of research in marginalized communities to assess their needs and improve their overall health and well-being. They feel that there is a lack of awareness about LGBTQ health in general so they look forward to continuing with studies on gender-related health issues even when she attends medical school.
A note from the student:
I want to thank Women & Gender Studies for allowing me to connect with Dr. Lindley. If it wasn't for program coordinator David Powers Corwin's advice, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to reach out to Dr. Lindley and the opportunity to further explore questions I'm passionate about. Finally, I want to thank Janet Mock, who I had the pleasure of meeting during Fall for The Book. She advised me to continue sharing stories I'm passionate about. Her work in feminism and social justice especially for trans women of color has been a constant inspiration for myself and many others. I will heed her advice and continue working on my project as I make my way to the big world.
May 31, 2018
