Kristi Gamarel

Associate Chair and Professor, Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity, University of Michigan School of Public Health

Training: BA in Psychology (Bard College), Ed.M, MA in Psychological Counseling (Columbia University), M.Phil and PhD in Basic and Applied Social Psychology (CUNY)

Research Focus: Dr. Gamarel's program of research focuses on elucidating and addressing how intersectional oppression contributes to health inequities among LGBTQ+ communities. Her research is largely focused on the development of community-engaged interventions designed with, by, and for trans people of color. She is a founding member of the "Love Her Collective" which a community-academic partnership with the Trans Sistas of Color Project (TSoCP) with the mission of meeting the needs of trans women of color. The Love Her Collective's current intervention research focuses on addressing social determinants of HIV, including violence, gender affirmation, economic vulnerability, and health-harming legal needs. An additional area of her research focuses on dissemination and implementation science in the context of HIV prevention interventions, including peer-delivered and digital health interventions. She has also been actively involved with the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV Interventions (ATN) since 2014, including serving as Protocol Chair. She co-created and currently directs the ATN Communication-Dissemination Hub, which is focused on expediting the gap between research, practice, and policy. Her scholarship is informed by community-based participatory research principles and she prioritizes cultural humility in her research, teaching, and mentoring.