NIH Sexual and Gender Minority Research Investigator Awards Program

Athena D. F. Sherman, PhD, PHN, RN, CNE, 2024 NIH SGM Early-Stage Investigator Award Recipient   
Assistant Professor at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University

Dr. Athena D. F. Sherman is an Assistant Professor at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University, where xe dedicates xer career to advancing health equity for transgender and gender-expansive (TGE) communities. With a focus on the intersections of racism, cisgenderism, individual and community strengths, and mental health, Dr. Sherman’s research examines the impact of violence and structural vulnerabilities on health outcomes among TGE people. Xer work is anchored in community-based participatory action research (CBPAR), highlighted through partnerships with organizations like Destination Tomorrow and the Grady Hospital Gender Center. Dr. Sherman leads multiple funded projects, including the CDC-supported ‘Screen and Intervene’ study, and employs a multi-method approach to address the root causes of mental health disparities. Xe also co-develops culturally responsive interventions and educational resources, contributing to the body of community-based interventions and nursing curricula worldwide through tools like the Tool for Assessing LGBTQI+ Health Training for Pre-licensure Nurses curriculum mapping tool. Dr. Sherman’s work emphasizes the power of community collaboration, aiming to create sustainable, compassionate health solutions for underserved communities. With a commitment to fostering the next generation of LGBTQI+ health researchers, Dr. Sherman is actively mentoring PhD students and postdoctoral fellows and continues to drive initiatives that bridge research, education, and social change. Dr. Sherman splits xer time between an assistant professorship in Atlanta, GA with Emory University; and the San Francisco Bay Area where xe works in end-of-life care with VITAS Healthcare.

Craig Rodriguez-Seijas, PhD, 2024 NIH SGM Early-Stage Investigator Award Recipient   
Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan

Craig Rodriguez-Seijas, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Clinical Science area at the University of Michigan. He earned his B.Sc. from the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago, and completed his Ph.D. at Stony Brook University. Dr. Rodriguez-Seijas further completed his predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) program at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School. Dr. Rodriguez-Seijas’s research interests lie in (1) understanding the nature of psychopathology and (2) investigating the ways in which stigma, discrimination, and marginalization impact the manifestation, assessment, conceptualization, and treatment of psychopathology. Dr. Rodriguez-Seijas typically explores transdiagnostic models of psychopathology, consistent with the aims of the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) Consortium’s efforts. In addition, he is committed to the dissemination of evidence-based intervention approaches for working with sexual and gender minority patients.

Kristi Gamarel, PhD, EDM, 2024 NIH SGM Mid-Career Investigator Award Recipient

Associate Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Research Associate Professor at the Population Studies Center

Kristi E. Gamarel, PhD, EdM (she/her) is an Associate Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and a Research Associate Professor at the Population Studies Center. Her research harnesses community-based participatory research principles to address health inequities among LGBTQ+ communities, particularly in areas of HIV, mental health, substance use, and healthcare access. She co-founded the “Love Her Collective,” a partnership with the nonprofit organization, Trans Sistas of Color Project, focusing on social determinants of HIV. She works closely with her mentees in their independent programs of research, which are often focused on understanding the structural drivers of inequities among LGBTQ+ communities.

Tara McKay, PhD, 2024 NIH SGM Mid-Career Investigator Award Recipient

Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Health, and Society, Vanderbilt University, Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Director, Vanderbilt LGBTQ+ Policy Lab, winner of the 2024 NIH DEIA Prize, Associate Director, Vanderbilt Center for Research on Inequality and Health

Dr. Tara McKay, PhD (she/her), is a nationally recognized expert in the field of LGBTQ+ population health, policy, and aging. She is co-founder and Director of the Vanderbilt LGBTQ+ Policy Lab, which was recognized by the National Institutes of Health for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in health research in 2024. Her research examines the social and policy contexts that shape health over the life course, primarily among LGBTQ+ populations in the US and African contexts. In 2024, Dr. McKay received the Vanderbilt University Chancellor's Award for Research on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Her work has been cited over 2400+ times and engaged with by academic colleagues writing from institutions in over 36 countries. Her research has been supported by over $6.6 million in grants as Principal Investigator from the National Institutes of Health and other awards as Principal Investigator/Co-Investigator from the National Science Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Commonwealth Foundation totaling over $1.5 million. 

Tonda Hughes, PhD, RN, FAAN, 2024 NIH SGM Distinguished Investigator Award Recipient

Henrik H. Bendixen Professor of International Nursing (in Psychiatry), Executive Director, Center for Sexual and Gender Minority Health Research

Tonda L. Hughes, RN, PhD, FAAN is a pioneering global health researcher and academic leader who has fundamentally reshaped understanding of sexual minority women's health. She holds the Henrik H. Bendixen Professor of International Nursing endowed chair and is the founder and Executive Director of the Columbia University School of Nursing's Center for Sexual and Gender Minority Health Research—the first of its kind in nursing. Hughes also has interdisciplinary appointments as Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Medicine and Professor Emerita in Nursing at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds or has held honorary or visiting professorships in England (Oxford Brookes University), Australia (University of Melbourne, Deakin University, University of Technology-Sydney) and the U.S. (University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University). Hughes has a distinguished research career in sexual minority women's mental health and alcohol use, areas in which she is recognized internationally as a leading expert. Since 1999, Hughes has maintained nearly continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health, a testament to the critical importance and rigorous quality of her research. Her most notable achievement is the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) study—a remarkable 24-year longitudinal research project that stands as the longest running study of sexual minority women's health. With an exemplary scholarly output of nearly 300 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and scientific presentations, Hughes has been instrumental in advancing research on health disparities among sexual minority people. She serves or has served as consultant to many US Federal agencies and institutes such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute on Mental Health, and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, as well as to researchers in many other countries including Canada, Chile, India, Thailand, and several European and African nations. A member of the NIH Sexual and Gender Minority Research Working group from 2020 to 2023, Hughes continues to drive innovative, intersectional approaches to health research that center the experiences of sexual minority women—a historically overlooked population group.