I have conducted clinical and experimental research at both Kent State University and the University of California, San Francisco. My research has centered on the psychological impact of stigma, discrimination, and shame on the well-being of sexual minorities. Specifically, I have found that the discrimination targeted at us by others and our beliefs about how the world might judge us have an equally powerful effect on our happiness, worry, and what behaviors we engage in to keep ourselves healthy.

Earlier in my career I focused on the direct impact of stigma on psychological symptoms, as well as the impact that a history of being bullied, in particular, had on the well-being of young gay men. My current research is aimed at answering how to reduce shame and stigma that gets in the way of individuals with illness taking the best care of themselves possible, how our ability to cope with discrimination and stress changes as we age, and how our physiological and psychological responses to stress interact to affect our physical and mental health.

My current research collaborations continue to explore the role of stigma on health behaviors, though I have broadened my interests to the process of therapist training, and am currently developing a program that I hope will increase therapists comfort with the topics of sexuality and sexual health.

I have presented my research at national and international conferences, schools, hospitals, and community organizations, and have taught a wide variety of courses, ranging from graduate and undergraduate courses to seminars for medical residents. My work on stigma and shame has appeared in a number of peer-reviewed journals of health psychology and health education, as well as chapters on psychotherapy with persons living with chronic illness.

For more information about my professional background, see my CV.