Bre O’Handley (pronouns: they/them) is a PhD student in Psychology in the KLB Research Lab at Trent University. Their doctoral research seeks to better understand how connecting with 2SLGBTQ+ community (in-person and online) can promote mental well-being among 2SLGBTQ+ youth with the goal of informing community resources and programming. Specifically, Bre is interested in how connecting with other 2SLGBTQ+ people and mentors may help youth develop positive 2SLGBTQ+ identities, access affirming social support, and cope with stigma. They initially became interested in this question during their work as the first Gender and Sexual Diversity Advisor at St. Francis Xavier University, where they worked to support 2SLGBTQ+ post-secondary students through advisement, advocacy, and community building. Bre’s other research interests include 2SLGBTQ+ positive psychology, humour as a coping strategy for stigma, and the mental health experiences of Two Spirit, transgender, and nonbinary people. Bre has also had the opportunity to work as a Grant Writing Assistant for Camp fYrefly Ontario (an arts-based resiliency camp serving 2SLGBTQ+ youth in rural Ontario) and as a Research Assistant at Egale Canada on a project examining the employment experiences of Two Spirit, transgender, and nonbinary people.

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Charlie Cooper (he/him) is a Doctoral Researcher and Provisional Psychologist passionate about the potential for novel, co-produced approaches to promote mental health and prevent suicide in LGBTQIA+ young people. He is a Research Assistant in the Suicide Prevention Research Unit at Orygen, Center for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne.

Charlie’s doctoral research examines the suicide-related social media experiences of LGBTQIA+ young Australians. This work seeks to understand how social media platforms could most effectively be harnessed for the purpose of LGBTQIA+ youth suicide prevention. Charlie is currently training as a psychologist and has over nine years experience working in community youth mental health settings, previously holding positions at headspace, Australia’s National Youth Mental Health Foundation, and the Trans Health Research team at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. He is a Westpac Future Leaders Scholar and is currently co-chair of the LGBTQIA+ Special Interest Group within the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

His interest in this work is shaped by his own lived experience and his early involvement in the sector as a mental health peer support worker for LGBTQIA+ young people. A strong focus of his work in the sector has been around advocating meaningful and safe youth partnerships in mental health and suicide prevention research.

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X: @charlietcooper

David Puvan (pronouns: he/him) is a 1st-year PhD student at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto. His research focuses on the impact of applied theatre interventions with marginalized populations, particularly racial and sexual/genderqueer communities. Puvan’s work is grounded in the principles of social justice and diversity, utilizing participatory research frameworks to foster critical consciousness and empowerment among these communities.

Prior to his admission to Toronto, Puvan was a researcher at the National University of Singapore, where he studied the experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals and persons with disabilities, examining the socio-emotional challenges and long-term consequences of bullying and discrimination. For his Master’s thesis, he partnered with RainbowAsia, an LGBTQIA+ community organization in Singapore, and utilized Theatre of the Oppressed to measure shifts in critical consciousness among gay, bisexual, and queer men.

Outside of his research, Puvan is also an accomplished applied theatre practitioner with over 7 years of facilitation experience. He has used applied theatre modalities to facilitate conversations on various critical issues, including domestic abuse, racial profiling, and bystander intervention. David Puvan’s work exemplifies the integration of arts and social work to drive meaningful change and advocate for marginalized communities.

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X: @davidpuvan93
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DeKeitra Griffin (pronouns: He/King) is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and PhD student at Louisiana State University’s School of Social Work. He studied at the University of Texas at Arlington by completing Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Master of Social Work, and Master of Public Administration. He serves as a board member for the Professional Association of Social Workers in HIV/AIDS and steering committee member for the United States People Living with HIV Caucus. DeKeitra uses his lived experiences including living with HIV, survivor of date rape, former sex worker, and survivor of intimate partner violence to become a stronger advocate with his studies. DeKeitra aims to be a researcher for the LGBTQIA+ community by focusing on intimate partner violence, youth, sex work, mental health, substance use, and HIV.

X: @kiddo4life90
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Dorjjantsan (Jack) Ganbaatar (pronouns: he/him) is a queer rights activist from Mongolia and currently a PhD student at the School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne. His research primarily focuses on healthcare access and the wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community in Mongolia, employing participatory methods through community engagement and a co-design approach.

Before starting his PhD, he worked at the LGBT Centre (Mongolia) for nearly a decade, overseeing the Health Program. Jack played a crucial role in identifying major healthcare system gaps and developing opportunities to enhance healthcare access for LGBTQ+ Mongolians. He focused on mainstreaming cultural and technical competence issues in healthcare service provision and tertiary education curricula, as well as providing information and referrals to LGBTQI+ community members.

Jack studied medicine in Mongolia and earned his Master of Public Health degree from the University of Melbourne. During his master’s studies, Jack conducted research exploring the experiences of young LGBTQ+ Mongolians and their identities in relation to health and wellbeing, using visual research methods. In addition to this, he served as a national consultant for the UN Free & Equal campaign and volunteered for LGBTQ+ organizations and programs globally.

X: @jack_ganbaatar
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Emma Chubb (she/her) is a PhD student in Psychology at the University of Bath. Her research will explore how gender and sexual minority youth with depression interact with digital spaces and where they are likely to go for support for their mental health. She will use these findings to coproduce a messaging strategy with that signposts GSM youth towards accessible and anonymous online mental health interventions that are being developed by the LAMP (spotLight on Adolescent Mood Problems) research group. These interventions will be tested in a randomised controlled trial, and Emma will be responsible for subgroup analyses on the outcomes and experiences of GSM participants.

During her undergraduate degree, Emma was heavily involved in a charity called Sexpression which delivered inclusive workshops on relationships and sex education (RSE) in secondary schools (ages 11-18). One workshop focused on gender identity and sexual orientation, by exploring the nuances of sex, gender identity and gender presentation, and romantic and sexual attraction. The workshops aimed to empower young people who were questioning their sexuality or gender identities by increasing knowledge and awareness, and tackle stigma by having open and honest conversations about these topics in the classroom.

X: @emmachubb97

Leonardo Jiménez-Rivagorza (pronouns: he/she/they; 24 years old) has a degree in Psychology from the Faculty of Psychology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), where he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in psychology of Addictions and provides psychological care in the Dr. Hector Ayala Velazquez Addiction Prevention Center. He has 5 publications in indexed journals and has presented scientific posters at national and international congresses. He received the Dr. Gustavo Baz Prada award for the best social service in Psychology in 2023 and has won the honorable mention in the scientific poster contest of the Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz two years in a row. His current lines of research are (1) care for people living with HIV and (2) mental health and risk and harm reduction in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men who use substances. His master's degree project addresses the relationship between sexualized substance use and mental health, and he is collaborating on a project by Dr. Claudia Rafful (PI) to train young psychologists and medical trainees in substance use and risk and harm reduction.

Leonardo Jiménez-Rivagorza (pronombres: él/ella/elle; 24 años) es Licenciado en Psicología por la Facultad de Psicología de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), donde actualmente cursa la Maestría en Psicología de las Adicciones y brinda atención psicológica en el Centro de Prevención de Adicciones Dr. Héctor Ayala Velázquez. Cuenta con 5 publicaciones en revistas indexadas y ha presentado carteles científicos en congresos nacionales e internacionales. Recibió el premio Dr. Gustavo Baz Prada al mejor servicio social de Psicología en 2023 y ha obtenido la mención honorífica en el concurso de carteles científicos del Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz dos años consecutivos. Sus líneas de investigación actuales son (1) la atención a personas que viven con VIH y (2) la salud mental y la reducción de riesgos y daños en hombres gays, bisexuales y otros hombres que tienen sexo con hombres que consumen sustancias. Su proyecto de titulación de la maestría aborda la relación entre el consumo sexualizado de sustancias y la salud mental, por otro lado, colabora en un proyecto de la Dra. Claudia Rafful (IP) para capacitar a jóvenes psicólogas(os/es) y médicas(os/es) en formación en consumo de sustancias y reducción de riesgos y daños.

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X: @Leo_Rivas20

Finneas Wong (pronouns: he/him) is a PhD student in Counseling Psychology at Arizona State University under the mentorship of Dr. Em Matsuno. His main research interest is in examining the intersection between racial-ethnic and gender identities, associated risk and protective factors, and related mental health and psychosocial outcomes. He is particularly interested in understanding how trans and nonbinary youth of color negotiate and communicate their identities with their parents. Additionally, he hopes to develop/evaluate identity and culturally sensitive psychological measures and interventions by integrating innovative technology tools. In the future, Finneas is looking forward to giving back to the Asian and LGBTQ+ communities through research and clinical work. Finneas is a member of the American Psychological Association Divisions 17, 44, and 45, as well as the Asian American Psychological Association.

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Florence (pronouns: any) is a MSc Public Health student at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Their work focuses on the health needs of gender minorities who use do-it-yourself hormone replacement therapy (DIY HRT) and related nonprescribed hormonal medications. Florence received their Bachelor of Laws from Nagoya University’s Global 30 program, establishing their foundation in law and policy.
Outside of their research, Florence is collaborating with other gender diverse community members to make home blood sampling kits accessible for DIY HRT users, empowering them to improve their health and reduce the risks of self-managed care. They aspire to reduce the gap in DIY HRT research and make material improvements in the lives of gender minorities through their work.

Isaac A. Sanders (they/them) is a Social Welfare PhD student in the School of Social Work at the University of Washington. Their research interests focus on utilizing Human Centered Design co-design and Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) methodology with youth who have experienced unaccompanied homelessness and/or navigated the child welfare system. Isaac is also interested in youth system providers' experiences and ways to reduce burnout by integrating their concerns with youth input. They want to understand ways incorporate non-traditional ways of resolving homelessness, with an emphasis on how QT/BIPOC youth and young adults subvert power structures to meet their needs, informing policy and practice. Isaac has worked with diverse LGBTQ+ youth populations throughout their career. They have developed LGBTQ+ justice curriculum with queer young people, worked at several LGBTQ+ focused organizations in their youth programs, and formally served on the board of the Northwest Network and as Co-Chair of the Lavender Rights Project, two prominent LGBTQ+ organizations in Washington state. Isaac's work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and he has presented at various conferences on topics related to LGBTQ+ youth and homelessness and rural trans youth experiences.

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Isaac (pronouns: he/him) is a psychologist and PhD Candidate (Psychology) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). He holds a Master of Clinical Psychology, Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), and registration as a rehabilitation counselor (MARSC). His doctoral research uses quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate transdiagnostic treatment for LGBTQ+ people with anxiety disorders via videoconferencing. Isaac is interested in minority stress, improving accessibility with telehealth, intervention research, anxiety disorders, cognitive behaviour therapy, LGBTQ+ affirmative care, and transdiagnostic treatment. He has taught undergraduate and graduate psychology subjects and has 6+ years of healthcare experience across private and public settings. Isaac is currently providing free treatment to LGBTQ+ people with anxiety through a randomized control trial as part of his doctoral research and is engaged in clinical work at a public hospital in Western Sydney. Isaac is PhD Candidate student representative at UTS and a member of LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, the Australian Psychological Society (Assoc. MAPS), and the Australian Clinical Psychology Association.

X: @isaacbdunn
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Jackie Cosse (they/she) is a PhD candidate at New York University’s Silver School of Social Work. Their research, pedagogy, and practice are grounded in abolition feminist scholarship and intersectional analysis that work to dismantle systems upheld by white supremacy and racial capitalism, cisheterosexism and ableism, and more. At NYU Silver, Jackie’s research examines the criminalization of survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) under mandatory arrest law, focusing on the experiences of women, queer, and transgender / gender expansive survivors of color. Using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, Jackie’s dissertation investigates how white supremacy and cisheterosexism interplay in determining which survival methods are afforded “legitimacy” in the eyes of those who enforce law. This includes but is not limited to considering: of IPV survivors, who is believed? Whose anger is coded as valid, and whose is coded as criminal, deviant, “crazy,” unnecessary? How are these categorizations rooted in the policing of Blackness, Latinidad, sex, gender, poverty, and more? Jackie’s work is grounded in the wisdom of the IPV/sexual violence survivors and BIPOC/queer and trans young people she has worked with for over ten years, along with the insights of organizers and IPV advocates who have uplifted survivor narratives for decades.Description goes here

Jake Leite (he/they) is a PhD student in social work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned his Master of Social Work from North Carolina State University, during which time he studied the effectiveness of non-discrimination ordinances in resolving complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in North Carolina. During his time living in North Carolina, Jake has worked with various LGBTQ+ groups and organizations, undertaking community organizing, awareness raising, political advocacy, and more. Jake’s current research focuses on the relationship between queer liberation, late-stage capitalist systems, and the mental health of queer individuals living in the United States. Through his research, Jake hopes to effectively address the needs of queer youth living under American capitalist systems and improve the quality of life of queer individuals in the United States.

X: @jakeleitenc
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Jayda Branch (pronouns: she/her/hers) has recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in medicine and society from the University of Houston. She is now beginning her graduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin, where she will be pursuing a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Sciences. Her research interests revolve around close romantic relationships, intimate partner violence, LGBTQ+ relationship health, and long-term relationship maintenance.

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Jenna Essex (pronouns: she/her/hers) is PhD candidate in her 1st year on a part time basis at Nottingham Trent University (NTU). Her research is focused on the experiences of bisexual and pansexual students in higher education spaces. This research is situated across the fields of sociology and education. Jenna holds a BA (Hons) in Education Studies from London Metropolitan University and a PG Certificate in Education Policy and Society from Kings College, London.

Before returning to higher education Jenna worked for many years as a retail and theatrical venue manager. This is where she managed many young teams and started to develop an interest in young people’s lives and the relationships between identity, belonging and success.

Alongside her PhD at NTU, Jenna is an administrator for a research institute situated within another university and an editorial assistant on an academic journal.

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X: @_Jenna_Essex

Jennifer Ananda (any pronouns/Mx.) is a PhD student in the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. Jennifer's theory-building dissertation focuses on the intersection of sex, technology, and queerness and how liminal phenomena such as these can inform a theory that positively impacts research on social issues using a nonbinary framework. Jennifer is using an ex ante theory building process, applying socioecological theory and glitch feminism to coded transcripts of queer youth discussing topics of sex, technology, and queerness. Jennifer will explore areas of tension, dissonance, and agreement in these two assessments to propose a new theory or expand an existing theory. Jennifer has a JD, MSW, and an undergraduate degree in film and English. She currently teaches the Human Sexuality course at KU and has been a GRA at the Center for LGBTQ+ Research at KU for three years.

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José Manuel Lira C. (pronouns he/him) currently teaches Vocational Instruction to High School students, produces and hosts the podcast Formas Queer. Identidades de colores, and is working toward a Master Degree in Studies in Sexuality at the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional. He is a co-author of the book “¿Por qué marcha la comunidad gay?” and his book Historia del teatro gay en México, written as part of his Master Degree in Theatre and Scenic Arts, is soon to be published. He has been a director, producer, and actor in plays with gay subjects and has collaborated in projects such as Boy4Me and Revista Betún, interviewing relevant LGBTQ people and reviewing the culture, life, and style of the LGBTQ community.

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X: @jomalira

Jules Kret (he/they) is a Master's student of Social Research Methods at Swansea University in Wales. He has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Sociology, completing his degree with a work on the context and causes of prejudice against transgender individuals in the UK, focusing on perceptions of gender identity and perceptions of mental stability. He works with underprivileged youth in Wales through Reaching Wider and Step Up, programmes dedicated to widening access to higher education, as well as MFL Mentoring, a programme trying to encourage youth to engage in foreign languages. He hopes to continue working with youth through clinical psychology work while conducting research into factors affecting young people in the mental health system in the UK. His research interests are focused around gender and gender presentation and what impacts them - especially the emergence of hybrid masculinities and the links between neurodivergence and gender non-conformity, as well as gender and sexuality in subculture and alternative communities. In his free time he also engages with the local LGBTQ+ community both as the trans and non-binary rep for his University's LGBTQ+ society and the secretary of the Heavy Metal society.

Katherine Murfitt (she/her) is a Clinical Psychologist and PhD Candidate committed to improving mental health accessibility for LGBTQ+ individuals. This passion stems from a recognition of the overrepresentation of this community in psychological settings, and the cisheteronormative schemas and sociocultural norms that continue to fuel this disparity.

Katherine has developed her clinical and research career through a diverse range of professional opportunities. These include working in gender-affirming care within large, public health services and research institutions, as well as working with complex intersectional presentations in regional and remote Australia. Katherine also provides clinical consultation and professional development for local and national mental health organisations.

Katherine's research currently focuses on improving culturally competent psychological support for LGBTQ+ people, with her PhD project specifically exploring this within the context of psychology supervision and training.

Katherine is a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and aims to improve the accessibility of safe, inclusive and affirming psychological services through her practice, research and consultation.

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Ken (pronouns: he/him) is a part-time doctoral candidate studying at Nottingham Trent University, UK. His current research study aims to listen to and learn from the views and experience(s) of sexual minority overseas students studying in British universities. At present, the understanding of LGBTI+ international university students’ experience is scarce. He hopes that findings from this project will help fill this gap of knowledge which leads to enhancement of these students’ well-beings whilst and after living in the UK.

As an immigrant to Britain himself, Ken is naturally drawn to issues around migration and the invisibility of Chinese (sexual minorities) people in British society. He hopes to produce quality research findings that benefit the next generation of overseas LGBTI+ youths coming to the UK.

Although Ken is generally quiet (and a bit shy at times), he is kind and is particularly interested in listening to people’s stories and experiences. He has had his psychotherapy trainings both in Hong Kong and the UK

KJ Kaixin DENG (pronouns: he/him) has got a Bachelor of Communication (Honours) degree in Media and Communication Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University, and he is an incoming Phd Student at School of Communication, University of Technology Sydney. His recent work focuses on the online community engagement of Chinese bisexual individuals (including their online community engagement patterns, community governance, and the impact of online communities on them). His current research endeavors to contribute significantly to ongoing academic discourse in sexuality studies, digital media culture and digital intimacies research within digital media studies in the Chinese context, and more broadly, sociological and ethnographic approaches to media and identity.

Lazar Dragić (he/him/his) is a PhD student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, focusing on the relationship between social media and the mental health of men who have sex with men (MSM). He obtained his Bachelor of Arts from Sun Yat-sen University and his Master of Arts from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Lazars research explores how MSM use social media in diverse cultural contexts to manage mental health challenges. Additionally, he investigates how media representation shapes heterosexual attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community, especially in regions with limited LGBTQ+ visibility. Lazar employs a mix of quantitative and qualitative research methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of these complex social dynamics. He aims to contribute to research on positive media effects and hopes his findings will be applied practically to support MSM in enhancing their mental health.

X/Twitter: @lazar_dragic

Mac Yechi Wang (He/Him/His) is a PhD student at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Mac’s doctoral project revolves around a very understudied group: young activists from Chinese university LGBTQ+ organisations who epitomise the entire movement and constitute its core strength. From elucidating contextual complexity to illuminating organisational responses and activists' emotional realm, as well as fostering epistemological reflexivity, his thesis seeks to elucidate the real-world (as well as the inner-world) repercussions of the top-down censorship of the ongoing LGBTQ+ movement in contemporary China. The project straddles social movement studies, cultural critique, and methodology. His research interests also include queer studies and film studies. Additionally, with over three years of extensive community-based NGO work experience, Mac has held roles as a research assistant and coordinator on projects covering knowledge dissemination (alternative metrics), public health (STDs), and multimodal data analysis.

X: @Thebigbangmac

Nathan R. G. Barnett (he/him) is a queer, disabled, trans man and white settler living on the land traditionally cared for by the Haudenosaunee, Anishnaabe, and Neutral Peoples, and covered by the Haldiman Treaty (now called Waterloo, Ontario). Currently, Nathan is a PhD student at Wilfrid Laurier University in the Social Work program where he is exploring the lived experience of queer masculine youth who use fan fiction as a form of identity exploration. Prior to his PhD, Nathan completed research focused on understanding how identity-based language in EDI policies shapes LGBTQ+ peoples’ sense of belonging. Ultimately, Nathan’s research interests lie at the intersection of queer studies, linguistics, pop culture, and belonging.

X: @nthnrgb
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Noah Adams (he/him) lives and works in Toronto and the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishnabeg, Chippewa, Haudenosaunne, and Wendat peoples. He is a researcher, advocate, and student at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, where he is completing a PhD in Adult Education and Community Development. Noah’s PhD work expands on his recently published book Trans and Autistic: Stories from Life at the Intersection (with Bridget Liang; Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2020) and explores the development of transgender/autistic community groups globally. Noah volunteers extensively and is currently working with the Transgender Professional Association for Transgender Health, an international network he co-founded that held its inaugural academic conference in July 2021. More about his work can be found at www.noahjadams.com.

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Noah Khan (he/him) is a third-year PhD student in Social Justice Education, collaboratively specializing in Workplace Learning and Social Change, within the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at University of Toronto. His doctoral research closely examines the emotional labour of artificial intelligence development, with specific focus placed on the experiences of data annotators—workers who manually label images, text, etc., to train machine learning models. Noah has recently been working on a research project, funded by the Digital Citizen Contribution Program, which aims to produce digital tools to effectively counter 2SLGBTQI+ mis-/disinformation through extensive community consultation and feedback.

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Montserrath Peña (pronouns: she/her/) is a Psychologist, master´s in research education, and is currently a doctoral student in the Interdisciplinary Research Centre for University Development at Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, in México

Her lines of research focus on the study of sexual and gender dissidence, school trajectories of trans students in university spaces, the body, as well as the mental health of vulnerable and discriminated groups and contexts of violence. She has participated in institutional forums to contribute to the planning of work agendas and educational policies for the LGBTIQ+ community. She is the coordinator of the Laboratory of Mental Health, Sexual Diversity and Gender, where she has organized cycles of conferences to address issues of education, sexuality, self-care and mental health. As well as workshops and training for students on masculinities, sexual diversity and prevention of discrimination and violence. She is a member of the Mexican Network of Educational Research on Sexual Diversity.

She is also interested in studying issues related to LGBTQ+ youth and ageing, with the intention of raising awareness and promoting self-care practices for new and future generations.

Montserrath Peña (pronombres: ella/él) es Psicóloga, maestra en investigación educativa, y actualmente estudiante de doctorado en el Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Universitario de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, en México.

Sus líneas de investigación se centran en los estudios de las disidencias sexuales y de género, trayectorias escolares de estudiantes trans en espacios universitarios, el cuerpo, así como la la salud mental de grupos vulnerables y discriminados y contextos de violencia. Ha participado en foros intitucionales para contribuir a la planificación de agendas de trabajo y politicas educactivas de la comunidad LGBTIQ+. Es coordinadora del Laboratorio de Salud mental, diversidad sexual y género, en donde organizado ciclos de conferencias para abordar temas de: educación, sexual, autocuidado y slaud mental. Así como talleres y capacitaciones a estudiantes con temas de Masculinidades, diversidad sexual y prevención de la discriminación y violencia. Es integrante de la Red Mexciana de Investigación Educativa sobre Diversidad sexual.

Sus intereses de investigación se centra en visibilizar las vidas de las y los estudiantes de la disidencia sexual y de género, sobresaltando las estrategias de afrontmaiento que estos utilizan para hacer visible su identidad y el impacto en su salud mental.

Además está interesada en estudiar los problemas relacionados con la juventud y la vejez de la población LGBTQ+, con la intención de concientizar y formentar prácticas de autocuidado para las nuevas y futuras generaciones.

Pin-Chen Chiang (pronouns: she/her/hers) is a Taiwanese doctoral social work student from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill since Fall 2023. Her research interests focus on the well-being and mental health of LGBTQ+ youth and emerging adults in a family context, especially the trauma and resilience LGBTQ+ youth experience from their families and the underlying mechanisms for improving their mental health. In addition, based on her education and practice experience in Taiwan and the United States, she is enthusiastic about enhancing the inclusion of LGBTQ+ and racial/ethnic minorities in multiple sociocultural contexts. In Pin-Chen’s current research, she is exploring the influence of intersectionality and environmental factors on LGBTQ+ individual’s psychological status. She also collaborates on projects about sexual identity development milestones among LGBTQ+ youth, coping strategies and resources used by LGBTQ+ youth to navigate stressful milestone experiences, and how LGBTQ+ youth’s parents support their mental health and LGBTQ+ identities under Dr. Will Hall.

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Renan Santiago (pronouns: he/him) is a master’s student currently pursuing a degree in Game Studies at Brock University. With a background in Social Communication, Renan has developed a keen interest in graphic design, photography, and 3D art. His research focuses on LGBTQ+ representation in video games, specifically employing multimodal analysis and semiotics to develop design principles for creating authentic queer characters. Currently, Renan contributes his expertise as a Research Assistant in the INQYR, LEVEL UP! research project, under the supervision of Professor Dr. Dane Di Cesare.

Renan is a freelance photographer and 3D artist, and he also dedicates time to teaching dance workshops for undergraduate students, providing a creative outlet that helps them exercise and reduce anxiety during exam periods.

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Fátima Díaz (she/her) is currently studying User Experience (UX) Design taught by Google. She is certified as a Cultural and Creative Agent by the Metropolitan Technological University of the State of Yucatan in collaboration with SEDECULTA and UNESCO. She has a Higher Diploma in Sexual Diversity and Human Rights from the Latin American Council of Social Sciences CLACSO, Bachelor's degree in psychology by validation of self-taught studies and work experience in cases of violence against women and LGBT people, and Master's degree in social work from the Peninsular Center for Humanities and Social Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She is a co-founder of the Mango Malva collective that carries out cultural and psychosocial activities for women and sexual dissidents in situations of discrimination and violence w ich won the Memorias Vivas: Support for the management and promotion of community archives and museums 2022 award, from the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico.

Fatima Diaz (ella) actualmente estudia Diseño de experiencia del usuario (UX) impartida por Google. Esta certificada como Agente cultural y creativo por la Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana del Estado de Yucatán en colaboración con SEDECULTA y UNESCO. Cuenta con un Diploma superior en Diversidad sexual y Derechos Humanos por el Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales CLACSO. Licenciada en psicología por validación de estudios autodidactas y experiencia laboral en atención a casos de violencia hacia mujeres y personas LGBT. Maestra en trabajo social por el Centro Peninsular de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Cofundadora de la colectiva Mango Malva que realiza actividades culturales y psicosociales para mujeres y disidentes sexuales en situaciones de discriminación y violencia. Ganadora del premio Memorias Vivas: Apoyo a la gestión y promoción de archivos y museos comunitarios 2022, de la Secretaría de Cultura del Gobierno de México, con el proyecto: Archivos de la Ternura Combativa. Disidencias sexuales feministas en Yucatán. Tiene interes en la Investigación Activista Feminista (IAF) con aproximaciones etnográficas digitales para explorar la memoria afectiva y los vínculos de cuidado colectivo entre lesbianas dentro del activismo feminista en Yucatán.

Rya Buckley (she/her) is a doctoral student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, studying School and Clinical Child Psychology. Her recent work focuses on LGB+ students’ knowledge of and experiences with non-suicidal self-injury and help-seeking. She is broadly interested in the mental health and help-seeking experiences of racialized, queer, and disabled folks in educational contexts, with her master’s thesis focused on the support-seeking experiences of racialized undergraduate students. Rya is interested in community-engaged research using an intersectionality lens. She has been a member of the Inlight Student Mental Health Research Student Advisory Committee and is currently a board member with the University of Toronto’s Students for Barrier-Free Access.

Santiago (he/him) is a PhD student in Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. His doctoral research will explore the use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and its relation to substance use in the Engage Study, a cohort of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men across Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto. Santiago is also working as a research assistant with Dr. David Moore at the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, currently studying health outcomes of substance use among the Engage Study cohort. Before moving to Vancouver, he worked for Mexico’s first PrEP pilot and public program, through Mexico’s National Institute of Public Health. His research has resulted in the publication of quantitative and qualitative papers about sexual health and psychology. In addition, Santiago has experience working with and volunteering for different community-based organizations focused on the sexual health of LGBT community.

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Shannon O’Brien LeBlanc (pronouns: they/them/theirs) recently completed their Bachelor of Health Psychology degree at Carleton University, and will be starting the Addictions and Mental Health programme at Algonquin College in September 2024. They hope to continue onto graduate studies in clinical and/or counselling psychology. Currently, they work as a research assistant in Carleton University’s Social Psychophysiology lab. Their professional memberships include the CPA, OPA, SPSP, and APS.

Their research interests include trauma/PTSD among marginalized groups, psychophysiological mechanisms of trauma, and alternative therapies for treatment-resistant mental health conditions. Their work is heavily influenced by lived experience and adopting an interdisciplinary culturally competent lens.

Shannon has been conducting an independent study examining how sex/gender is conceptualized and measured in the field of social psychology and how there is currently a methodological crisis with how psychological scientists study and represent the identities and experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ and sex/gender diverse populations. This work has been presented at uOttawa's ICP Conference and CPA 2024 and is planning to be submitted for publication later this year.

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X: @shannonoleblanc