Meet Our Research Team
Jae Puckett, Ph.D. (They/Them)
Jae Puckett is an assistant professor of community.
Their research documents experiences of stigma and marginalization encountered by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals and the negative health outcomes of prejudice using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches. Although my work has broadly focused on theLGBTQ community, my primary focus is on the lived experiences of transgender and gender diverse individuals. My research seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of the mechanisms and processes that underlie the production of health disparities that exist for these communities, as well as strategies for coping and being resilient in the face of the adverse life events that transgender and gender diverse people frequently encounter.
Learn more about their research here: www.trans-ilience.com
Em Matsuno, Ph.D. (They/Them)
Em Matsuno is an assistant professor in counseling and counseling psychology atArizona State University. Their research interests focus on trans and nonbinary minoritystress and resilience using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Their main goal isto develop and test interventions to decease negative mental health outcomes andincrease wellbeing among trans and nonbinary people.
Learn more about their reseach here: www.empowermentlab.wordpress.com
Paz Galupo, Ph.D. (They/She)
After 27 years at Towson University, Paz Galupo recently joined the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis as the Audre Lorde Distinguished Professor of Sexual Health & Education.
Paz’s research interests focus on the intersection of sexual orientation and gender identity, with a particular focus on understanding non-binary expressions of bisexual/plurisexual and transgender experience.
Paz is currently Editor for the Journal of Bisexuality and Associate Editor for the International Journal of Transgender Health, the official journal for the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Paz also serves on the APA Task Force charged with updating the Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Diverse Persons.
Learn more about their research here: www.qt-crew.org
Kiet Huynh, Ph.D. (He/Him)
Dr. Kiet Huynh’s research is driven by a dual mission: to uncover how risk factors, including stigma, discrimination, and internalized oppression, contribute to mental health disparities among LGBTQ+ and BIPOC populations, and to explore how resilience factors, such as connection to minority communities and identity pride, can serve as powerful protective mechanisms that foster psychological well-being. Dr. Huynh has a particular interest in developing and validating culturally attuned psychological measures that can capture the experiences of individuals with intersectional marginalized identities.
Learn more about his research here: https://intersectionalwellbeinglab.wordpress.com/
Zakary Clements, Ph.D. (He/They)
Zakary Clements is a postdoctoral associate at Washington University in St. Louis. Zak received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Kentucky. Zak's research interests broadly focus on the strengths of being transgender, nonbinary, and/or gender-expansive (TNB and GE). Specifically, he is interested in how authenticity and well-being can be enhanced in TNB and GE individuals. His dissertation identified associations between gender minority stressors, basic psychological needs, authenticity, well-being, and psychological distress. He is also interested in community-based research and examining the effects of policies on LGBTQ+ people.