Dr. Jessica Fish
Dr. Jessica Fish is Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Science at the University of Maryland School of Public Health and the Deputy Director for Research and Evaluation of the CDC-funded University of Maryland Prevention Research Center. Her research and scholarship is in services to understanding the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning youth and their families. She has published over 70 peer-reviewed studies and book chapters on the topic of LGBTQ youth, development, and health. Broadly, her research aims to identify modifiable factors that contribute to LGBTQ-related health disparities in order to inform developmentally-sensitive policies, programs, and prevention strategies that promote the health of sexual and gender minority people across the life course.
Monday June 7th
Keynote
Despite social progress, sexual and gender diverse adolescence continue to be at greater risk for poor mental health and substance use when compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. At the same time, more youth are recognizing and acknowledging their sexual and gender diversity than ever before and “coming out” as LGBTQ+ at younger ages. This talk will discuss the current research on contemporary sexual and gender diverse youth and the various factors that undermine and support their positive development and health as they age into young adulthood.