Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

Think
-I believe it is unethical to engage in research that could maintain or exacerbate discrimination, stigma, or inequity, and that it is necessary to anticipate how research findings could lead to such outcomes. I critically evaluate my own research questions and findings from the perspective of how they might impact diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
-I have collaborated with several students (e.g., through UROP) on DEIA-focused projects using publicly available data sources (e.g., examining the association between income inequality and depression severity; how discrimination and stigma impacts mental health among LGBT populations).

Teach
-I try to foster a open, safe, and nonjudgmental environment where mentees and students are comfortable sharing their ideas, opinions, and goals. Students and trainees must feel safe to test out theories and be wrong, and teachers must demonstrate that they are nonjudgmental when discussing concepts and answering questions.
-I teach Mental Health Epidemiology (SPH EP790) and am currently revising the syllabus using the BUSPH Syllabus Assessment Tool, to ensure that the course is consistent with the school's commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.

Do
-I serve on the BUSPH Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Committee (DEIJ-C) as a Departmental Representative (Epidemiology). I also am a member of the BUSPH Department of Epidemiology Antiracism Committee (ARC)
-Between 2016 and 2022, I served as the co-chair of Boston University’s Clinical Psychology Colloquium Committee (Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences). A central mission of the Colloquium Committee was to invite scholars from underrepresented groups to speak about issues related to DEIA (e.g., neuroscientific basis of prejudice and dehumanization)
-My training as a cognitive-behavioral therapist has greatly impacted how I think about issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusivity in my research, mentorship, and teaching. I completed my clinical internship training year at the University of Mississippi Medical Center/VA Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi, an area with among the highest rates of poverty and health problems in the United States. As a graduate student, I completed a clinical placement at a methadone clinic located off Mass Ave and close to BUMC, providing cognitive-behavioral and 12-step based treatments to individuals with opioid use disorders, several of whom were homeless.

• BU Research
• NIH RePORTER Research

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