Dr. Elizabeth Aparicio is a community-engaged, clinically trained scholar whose work aims to improve health equity through informing and testing mental health and sexual and reproductive health interventions for trauma-affected and marginalized children, youth, and families. Using a trauma-informed care and reproductive justice framework, she has particular expertise in addressing the mental health and sexual and reproductive health needs of youth in and formerly in foster care and youth experiencing homelessness. LGBTQ youth are heavily overrepresented in both of these populations. Dr. Aparicio draws upon nearly a decade of direct clinical social work practice as well as ongoing relationships with community-based organizations when conducting her research. Dr. Aparicio's current research includes several active funded studies with LGBTQ youth, including (1) assessing the mental health and sexual health needs of LGBTQ youth in foster care (community partners: Hearts and Homes for Youth, Prince Georges County Department of Social Services) and (2) testing a training program for mental health providers serving LGBTQ clients as part of her work with the UMD Prevention Research Center (funder: CDC). Dr. Aparicio directs the Community THRIVES Lab, a research group of on- and off-campus research-practice partners that conduct Community-engaged Transformative Health Research at the Intersection of family Violence, Early childhood, and adolescent Sexual health intervention. Dr. Aparicio is also the Deputy Director for Clinical Training and Intervention and a core research scientist of the UMD Prevention Research Center, and a faculty affiliate of the UMD Center for Health Equity and UMD Center on Young Adult Health and Development.