Oh, Canada! Dr. Cook will represent the AHDL at the “Emerging Statistical Methods for Digital Health Data” workshop hosted by the Banff International Research Station (BIRS) in Alberta, Canada February 23 - 28, 2025. Learn more about the BIRS and the workshop here.

Join us in welcoming Maxine back to the lab in her new role as program coordinator! Maxline is a NYU Alumni, obtaining her degree in Biochemistry. During her time at NYU, she obtained experience with Public Health research at the AHDL, focusing on the impact of discrimination based stress and mental health. Since graduating, she has worked at Mount Sinai as a Clinical Research Assistant aiding in Neurosurgery research. Maxline is passionate about health disparities research and community based intervention work and hopes to be able to continue improving health outcomes for underserved populations.

Congratulations to PhD student Mariana Rodrigues on her recent publication “Integrated programs for common mental illnesses within primary care and community settings in Latin America: A scoping review of components and implementation strategies.”

The Lancet Regional Health - Americas

Volume 41, January 2025

Congratulations to PhD student Mariana Rodrigues on receiving the “Todos Juntos” grant for her work which looks at the intersection of mental health and chronic disease among Hispanic women in rural and urban areas.

We’re thrilled to highlight our lab's very own PhD Student, Mariana Rodrigues, who has made significant contributions to all of our work at the AHDL. Her recent publication, titled “Intersectionality matters for Hispanic Health: A replication study using the All of Us Research Program" in International Journal for Equity in Health, showcases her dedication and expertise in addressing crucial issues within our community.

Join us in celebrating Mariana’s achievements and commitment to promoting equity in health. We are proud to have her on our team!

Read the full article here.

This August, Dr. Cook travelled to Portland, Oregon, to share groundbreaking insights at a key conference. Her presentation, titled "Steering Inclusiveness in Big Data: Changing the Normative Process for Selecting Covariates in Statistical Models," explored innovative approaches to enhancing intersectionality in data analysis.

Dr. Cook’s talk focused on how we can improve the process of selecting covariates in statistical models to better reflect diverse and comprehensive perspectives. Her insights are poised to influence future practices in big data analytics and statistical modeling, promoting more equitable and representative outcomes.

The AHDL team was thrilled to support our Research Assistant, Stephanie, at The College of Arts and Science’s Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Stephanie did a fantastic job presenting our GeoSense pilot study Her dedication and enthusiasm was evident while representing our lab. We couldn’t be prouder of her effort and the way she showcased our research.

Discover the pioneering research of Dr. Stephanie Cook, our Lab Director, through her insightful interview with the Intersectionality Training Institute. Dr. Cook’s work focuses on intersectionality in health disparities among sexual and gender minorities of color, exploring themes like cardiovascular health and social media impacts.

Visit “The C3” folder HERE to read the full interview and learn more about Dr. Cook’s transformative research and its implications for inclusive health practices.

Dr. Cook and colleagues discussed the Social Determinants of Sleep Health from 2017-2020, focusing on how sleep and circadian rhythms impact cardiovascular resilience. This workshop focused on the impact of sleep and circadian rhythms on cardiovascular health, emphasizing interventions to improve sleep quality and enhance cardiovascular resilience, especially across diverse populations.

Read more HERE

Our Lab Director, Stephanie Cook, has taken on a new role as the Pathway Programs Director at the Center for Anti-racism, Social Justice, and Public Health. Drawing on her expertise, she'll spearhead transformative initiatives to tackle health disparities, mentor emerging leaders, and advocate for equity. Let's applaud Dr. Cook's new journey and anticipate the positive impact she'll bring to promoting justice within public health.

Learn about the newest development in the All of Us Research program! Their study on the impact of discrimination on mental and physical health found that discrimination increases C-reactive protein levels in minority populations, indicating a higher risk of heart disease.

Watch more!

Please click here to read the Attachment and Health Disparities Lab’s latest publication: “Assessment of a Daily Diary Study Including Biospecimen Collections in a Sample of Sexual and Gender Minority Young Adults: Feasibility and Acceptability Study”.

Interested in learning more about the “All of Us” Research Program? Please click here to listen to Dr. Stephanie Cook’s latest radio interview to the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce (NORBCC) Radio Show.

Tim Dubitsky (RA) is a recipient of NYU’s Wasserman Center Internship Grant for Fall 2024! We think pizza is in order…

Learn how to use one of the most comprehensive US data sources!Register to attend here: https://nyu.zoom.us/meeting/register/C2M7czB9T-uR6EV_4aJt5Q

Dr. Stephanie H. Cook recently presented at the American Public Health Association (APHA) conference on October 29, where she shared valuable insights on how intersectionality and discrimination influence cardiometabolic health behaviors among young sexual and gender minorities. Her presentation examined the interplay of various social identities—such as race, gender, and sexual orientation—and their impact on health outcomes. By addressing these critical issues, Dr. Cook aims to inspire public health initiatives that promote equity and improve health for these communities. It was a wonderful opportunity to engage with fellow public health advocates about the unique challenges faced by young sexual and gender minorities and the steps we can take to support their health and well-being!

It is with mixed emotions that we announce the departure of our esteemed Research Assistant, Janice. After 3 years of hard work and invaluable contributions to our team, Janice has decided to pursue new opportunities.

While we are sad to see her go, we are also excited for Janice as she begins a new chapter in her career. She will be bringing her trademark dedication and enthusiasm to her role as a Pulmonary Function Technician in the Pulmonary Department of Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai West, under the guidance of Dr. Edward Eden.

Janice, you will be greatly missed, and your legacy at AHDL will continue to inspire us.

Our Research Assistants, Antoneta Karaj and Betty Cui presented the Attachment and Health Disparities Lab’s study titled: “Thinking more critically about intersectionality: “Understanding differences in CVD risk among sexual and gender minorities of color” at the American Psychosomatic Society’s (APS) Annual Scientific Meeting in Puerto Rico on March 2023.

Our Research Associate, Mariana Rodrigues, presented our ongoing study titled "GeoSENSE: Geospatial Study on Intersectionality, Discrimination, and Cardiometabolic Health Behaviors Among YSGM" at the Center for Health Data Science's Symposium on September 2023.

Congratulations are in order to our very own Graduate Research Assistant, Natalie Green. Natalie recently had her commentary published on PNAS. Please read Natalie’s incredible work titled: “Beyond gender: The biological impacts of inequality through the lens of intersectionality” https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2319314121

Our Research Assistants, Janice and Stephanie, did an incredible job presenting the Attachment and Health Disparities’ study on Intersectional Discrimination and Cardiometabolic Risk among Sexual and Gender Minorities at the “Dream Makers Summit” at New York University on March 2024.

Dr. Cook was interview by Mark Barna for the Nation’s Health, a publication of The American Public Health Association, about using All of Us data and, in particular, about her article titled “A national examination of discrimination, resilience, and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: the All of Us Research Program”. Please click on the link to read the full interview. All of Us data driving science on health of people often missed in data collection.

Our Research Associate, Mariana Rodrigues, presented the Attachment and Health Disparities Lab’s poster entitled: “Context Matters: Assessing Intersectional Discrimination and Cardiometabolic Risk Among Sexual and Gender Minorities of Color” at the Center for Anti-Racism, Social Justice & Public Health’s Annual Symposium.

Please click here to read Dr. Cook’s interview. She talks about using an intersectionality framework in her research, shares some very interesting details about her 3 R01s, and comments on attending the 2022 Intersectionality Summer Intensive cohort. You don’t want to miss it!

To read Dr. Cook’s interview please click on the link and select the option: “The C3 (Community, Collective, and Collaboration)

Join us in congratulating Janice, our incredible Research Assistant, for her receiving her Bachelor of Science in Global Public Health and Biology.

We are so proud and happy for you and we can’t wait to see the amazing things you will accomplish!

May, 2024

Please click on the click here to check out the Science news article: “Quarter-million genomes analyzed in NIH project could be ‘hugely important’ for identifying disease risks”, in which Dr. Cook shares information about the All of Us Research Program.

All of the current AHDL members got together today (May 23rd) to celebrate an amazing year together! Here’s to many more to come!

From left to right: Cindy Patippe (Ph.D. student), Stephanie Espinoza Perez (Research Assistant), Janice Jachero Caldas (Research Assistant at recent NYU graduate - Congrats, Janice!), Dr. Stephanie Cook (Director), Dr. Erica Wood (Research Associate), Mariana Rodrigues (Ph.D. student), and Natalie Green (Ph.D. student)

Dr. Cook was interview by Healio’s Erik Swain and talked more about her recently published paper: “Discrimination, Smoking, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Moderated Mediation Analysis with MESA.”

Please click hereto read the full interview, where Dr. Cook talks about how “Practitioners should think more critically about how they approach cardiovascular health given the results of our study and similar studies highlighting the importance of examining the different experiences for people at the intersections of biological sex and race/ethnicity, for instance.”

Advised by Dr. Cook, AHDL’s very own Erica Wood defended (and passed, of course!!!) her dissertation titled: “An application of an intersectional framework to understand the health of Transgender Women: The Intersectional Minority Stress and Social Safety Framework”.

Congratulations, Dr. Wood! We are so proud of your achievements and incredibly happy for you!

Wednesday, May 8th, 2024

Our Research Associate, Mariana Rodrigues, presented the Attachment and Health Disparities Lab’s poster entitled: “Context Matters: Assessing Intersectional Discrimination and Cardiometabolic Risk Among Sexual and Gender Minorities of Color” at the Center for Anti-Racism, Social Justice & Public Health’s Annual Symposium.

Are you interested in intersectionality in sexual and reproductive health? If so, please click on the link to read a commentary by our Ph.D. student, Mariana Rodrigues, titled: “Toward an Intersectional Approach to Sexual and Reproductive Health Policies in Brazil” posted on PLOS Global Public Health’s blog, Speaking of Science and Medicine.

Please join us in wishing Dr. Erica Wood a fantastic birthday filled with joy, laughter, and all the happiness she so richly deserves!

Dr. Wood has been an invaluable member of our team, bringing not only her expertise but also her infectious enthusiasm to every project she undertakes. Her dedication to the AHDL has inspired us all and contributed significantly to our success as a whole.

As we mark this occasion, we reflect on Dr. Wood's contributions, leadership, and the positive impact she has made on our organization and the broader community.

“Impact of discrimination varies by identity, pointing to need for more intersectional research”. Click here to read the latest highlight of the Attachment and Health Disparities latest publication:“Discrimination, Smoking, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Moderated Mediation Analysis With MESA” , in the Journal of American Heart Association.

The ADHL team was thrilled to support our Research Assistant, Stephanie, at The College of Arts and Science’s Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Stephanie did a fantastic job presenting our GeoSense pilot study. Her dedication and enthusiasm was evident while representing our lab. We couldn’t be prouder of her effort and the way she showcased our research.