Our Team
Executive Director
Tonda Hughes, PhD, RN, FAAN
- Henrik H. Bendixen Professor of International Nursing (in Psychiatry); Associate Dean of Global Health
Research Areas of Focus: Sexual Minority Women’s Health, Alcohol Use/Abuse, Violence and Victimization
Co-Director
Walter Bockting, PhD
- Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry and Nursing)
Research Areas of Focus: Identity Development Across the Lifespan, Transgender Health, SGM Aging
Core Members
Billy Caceres, PhD, RN, AGPCNP-BC, FAAN
- Assistant Professor
Research Areas of Focus: Psychosocial Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in SGM Populations Across the Lifespan
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Kasey Jackman, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC
- Assistant Professor
Research Areas of Focus: Prevention and Treatment of Mental Health Disparities Among SGM People
Cindy Veldhuis, PhD
- Associate Research Scientist
Research Areas of Focus: Role of Intimate Relationships in Sexual Minority Women’s Alcohol Use
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Jeremy D. Kidd, MD, MPH
- Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry
Research Areas of Focus: Clinical Research, Culturally Adapted Psychosocial Interventions, Alcohol Use, Opioid Use, Transgender Health, Medical Education
Ronica Mukerjee, DNP, FNP-BC, MsA, LAc, PMHNP(c), AAHIVS
- Assistant Professor
Research and Clinical Areas of Focus: border-police-prison abolition; racial, economic, and health care justice in LGBTQIA+, refugee, and migrant communities, for people with substance use disorders, and for people living with HIV.
Jean-Marie Bruzzese, PhD
- Professor of Applied Developmental Psychology (in Nursing)
Research Areas of Focus: Understanding and reducing health disparities in children and adolescents
Fellows
April Ancheta, MPhil, RN, BSN
- PhD Student
Research Areas of Focus: SGM Adolescent Health, Bullying and Obesity-Related Health Disparities
Joseph Belloir, MSC, PMHNP-BC
- PhD Student
Research Areas of Focus: SGM Mental Health, Relationship Between Traumatic/Adverse Experiences and Sleep Disturbances in Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals
Lauren Bochicchio, PhD, MSW
- Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Research Areas of Focus: Mechanisms Linking Childhood Sexual Abuse and Hazardous Drinking Among Sexual Minority
Yashika Sharma, RN, MSN
- PhD Student
Research Areas of Focus: Impact of Minority Stress on Substance Use and Mental Health of SGM People
Kodiak Soled, RN, MSN
- PhD Student
Research Areas of Focus: Social Support Experiences Among SGM+ Childbearing Individuals
Sarah Zollweg, BA, RN, BSN
- PhD Student
Research Areas of Focus: Structural Influences on Sexual Minority Women’s Substance Use and Mental Health
Sarah Leonard, MSN, RN
- PhD Student
Research Area of Focus: Intersectional discrimination as an underlying cause of SGM mental health disparities
Staff
Lauren Porsch, PhD, MPH
- Project Director
