REAL Lives Lab

The Relational and Ecological Aspects of LGBTQ+ Lives (REAL Lives) Lab focuses broadly on socio-contextual influences on health and wellbeing for minoritized populations.

• We recognize that people’s lived experiences are shaped by their intersectional identities and how these are situated within broader systems of power and inequity.

• We are interested in multilevel factors (e.g., at the individual, interpersonal, setting, and structural levels) that shape mental health and wellbeing for sexual and gender minority populations, as well as other minoritized groups.

• We examine factors that contribute to mental and physical health disparities as well as those related to resilience and thriving.

• We value qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods, including tools that support relational and multilevel analyses (e.g., social network analysis, GIS).

• In addition to research focused on understanding mechanisms driving health disparities, we value translational research related to clinical practice and intervention with LGBTQ+ people and communities.