Research 🔎

My research explores marginalization, critical public health, and LGBTQ+ health disparities with a focus on sexual and gender diverse people in digital spaces and HIV/STI prevention. Using a multidisciplinary approach, I investigate sexualized drug use and counterpublics to inform culturally-relevant health practices and promote community-led interventions. My dissertation challenged normative public health views on drug use in sexual contexts, shedding light on harm reduction strategies and notions of moral action using qualitative methods.

Key findings from my interview research among predominantly gay cisgender men reveal how individuals employ intentional harm reduction and how they exercise moral agency and practice empathy to navigate stigma in sexualized drug use, critiquing mainstream discourse and informing public health praxis. 

In tandem, my narrative review on the "counterpublic health" literature (see Kane Race) encourages acknowledging the unique experiences and knowledge of marginalized/subaltern groups as well as challenging and reframing dominant health narratives and structures to be more inclusive and equitable. Future work will expand to include other queer communities, integrate social connection as a key component of resilience, and employ mixed methods to uplift intersectional identities and experiences.  

My work has been supported by Berkeley Public Health, Institute for the Study of Societal Issues, and The Graduate Assembly.