Current Research Studies
We have a variety of studies active and ongoing. Below you can learn more about each of our studies. To read more about the papers we've written based on our research, you can also check out our Publications page.
Modeling Resilience as a Multidimensional Protective Factor in Transgender Health Disparities
This is a large, multi-phase study where we are developing a novel measure of resilience for transgender and nonbinary participants and validating this measure. We are using this measure in a longitudinal study to evaluate whether resilience, as understood from the experiences of trans and nonbinary communities, buffers the effects of stressors and promotes better health outcomes.
Researchers: This study is led by Dr. Jae Puckett, Dr. Em Matsuno (Arizona State University), and Dr. Paz Galupo (Wash U, St. Louis).
Overall Aims: The primary aims of this study were to develop and validate a novel measure of resilience for trans and nonbinary participants and to explore whether resilience buffers the impact of minority stressors or promotes better health outcomes when measured with this scale. Past research has largely attempted to fit trans and nonbinary people's experiences into cisgender frameworks, including areas such as resilience research. As such, we see that many of the measures in the literature do not adequately reflect the experiences of trans and nonbinary people. Because of this, research is limited in terms of what can be accurately measured when it comes to resilience.
What's included in this study? We started by developing the measure based on our prior data collection efforts and a review of the resilience literature. We then gathered community input using participatory research methods, as well as input from experts in transgender health research and the Trans-ilience Community Board. After this, we validated the measure in a large study and we are now following participants' experiences for 2.5 years to understand what role resilience, as measured with this new scale, plays in health outcomes.
What's the current status of this study? This study began winter 2022 and is ongoing. We have developed the measure through an iterative, community-engaged process and refined it extensively. The measure was developed initially based on a review of 10 years of qualitative research on resilience, along with data from our past research studies on resilience. We then gathered input from our community advisory board and from a series of 5 focus groups, finished in the Fall 2023, as well as from experts in trans health research. We have completed gathering data from four of our five timepoints, with data collection projected to end July 2026.
What are the findings from this study? We are still in the process of conducting this study and will share more updates as things progress. Here are a few papers we have published from this work so far:
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This paper details findings from our focus groups regarding how trans and nonbinary people experience resilience and their feedback on our framework and measure.
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This paper focused on the scale validation analyses for the Multidimensional Transgender and Nonbinary Resilience Scale.
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This publication focuses on the scale validation analyses for the Trans and Nonbinary People of Color Resilience Scale.
Funders: This study is funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD).
Gathering Community Input from Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals on the Minority Stress Model
Many studies with trans and nonbinary communities include an emphasis on minority stressors. Even so, this model was initially developed with cisgender LGB people in mind, leaving many gaps when applied to other communities. Past research shows a number of other stressors that trans and nonbinary people may experience that need to be integrated into the minority stress model to better reflect the lives of these communities. This study sought to gather community input on the minority stress model and recent advances in the literature to better inform an adapted version of the minority stress model for application to trans and nonbinary communities.
Researchers: This study was led by Dr. Jae Puckett.
Overall Aims: The primary aim of this study was to gather input from transgender and nonbinary participants on the minority stress model and recent advances in the literature to produce an adaptation that better reflects the lives of these communities. From this adaptation, future research will be better equipped to measure the types of stressors that trans and nonbinary people experience rather than continuing to attempt to fit this community's experiences into cisgender frameworks.
What's included in this study? We gathered community input using participatory research methods, as well as input from our community advisory board.
What's the current status of this study? We are in the process of data analysis at this time.
What are the findings from this study? We are still in the process of data analysis but are looking forward to sharing findings as soon as we have them! Please check back with us.
Funders: This study was funded by the Lesbian Health Fund.
Resilience Research: Reviewing Research with Transgender and Nonbinary Communities
We have two reviews we are conducting that will help to shed light on areas for improvement in resilience research with trans and nonbinary communities.
Researchers: This study is led by Dr. Jae Puckett. The review of measures of resilience was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Em Matsuno (Arizona State University) and Sergio Domínguez (University of Wisconsin-Madison).
Overall Aims: There has been a growth in research on resilience in transgender and nonbinary people and communities. Even so, there have been significant issues related to measurement and conceptualization of resilience. This work entails two reviews: 1) a review of the past 10 years of research on resilience with transgender and gender diverse participants in which we compared qualitative findings on how trans and nonbinary people described their experiences of resilience to quantitative research and how these studies measured resilience in their scales; and 2) a scoping review of quantitative research on resilience to understand what relationships have been examined and what gaps remain.
What's the current status of this study? The review related to the measurement of resilience has been published. We are in the process of data extraction for our scoping review.
What are the findings from this study? We found that there are many discrepancies between how transgender people describe experiences of resilience and the ways that researchers have measured resilience. Check out our paper here for more details. We are still in process of the scoping review.
Trans and Nonbinary Perspectives on Structural Stigma
This qualitative study uses interviews with trans and nonbinary people living in states with anti-trans legislation to understand their experiences with negative community attitudes and discriminatory legislation, and how these factors affect their wellbeing.
Researchers: This study is led by Devon Kimball, MA (doctoral candidate), supported by their advisor, Dr. Jae Puckett.
Overall Aims: The overall research focus driving this study is on how trans ad nonbinary young adults see structural stigma as a factor in their own lives and experiences.
What's included in this study? This study included interviews with 17 trans or nonbinary people aged 18-24 from states with anti-trans legislation. Interviews asked about their experiences with structural stigma in the form of community attitudes towards trans and nonbinary people and anti-trans legislation.
What's the current status of this study? Data analysis is nearing completion and findings from this study will be available later in 2026.
What are the findings from this study? No publications or finalized findings yet. We will share more as this project progresses.
Funders: This study was funded by Michigan State University Department of Psychology (Graduate Student Justice, Diversity, Equity, or Inclusion Research Grant) and Michigan State University Consortium for Sexual & Gender Minority Health (Sexual and Gender Minority Health Seed Grant)
Sexual Minority People of Color’s Experience of Power and Privilege in Romantic Relationships
A study to explore the ways power and privilege influence how sexual minority people of color navigate lived experiences and the impact on their relationship satisfaction.
Researchers: This study is led by Kalei Glozier, MA (doctoral candidate), supported by his advisor, Dr. Jae Puckett.
Overall Aims: The aim of this study is to explore how sexual minority people of color (SM POC) experience satisfaction in their romantic relationships and how their intersecting identities shape those experiences. Using an intersectional lens, the study examines how systems of power, privilege, discrimination, and broader sociopolitical contexts influence relationship dynamics. Through individual interviews with a diverse group of SM POC adults currently in romantic relationships, the project gathered narratives about relationship satisfaction, challenges, and strengths. Guided by critical constructivist grounded theory, the research aims to deepen understanding of the relational experiences of SM POC and illuminate how intersectional identities and structural forces shape relationship satisfaction and wellbeing.
What's included in this study? Kalei conducted 15 in-depth interviews with SMPOC who were currently in a romantic relationship. The interviews focused on participants’ experiences in their relationships, including areas of satisfaction, challenges, and growth.
What's the current status of this study? This study began in Spring of 2025 and data collection and analysis has been completed. The results and implications are currently being written and the main findings will be shared on the Trans-ilience website later in 2026.
What are the findings from this study? We are still in the process of describing the final results and will share more updates as things progress.
Funders: This study was funded by the Michigan State University Sexual and Gender Minority Health Consortium Seed Grant.
Exploring Sibling Support for Trans and Nonbinary Youth
A study to explore what supportive sibling relationships look like between trans and nonbinary youth and cisgender siblings.
Researchers: This study is led by Noelle Martin (Graduate Student), supported by their advisor, Dr. Jae Puckett, and team member Mihael MacBeth.
Overall Aims: The aims of this study are to characterize what a supportive relationship looks like between trans and nonbinary youth and cisgender siblings, to examine this relationship in the context of the family system, and to gather information that can be used to create resources for cisgender siblings on how to better support their trans and nonbinary siblings. We are doing this because siblings are often overlooked in research on support systems for trans and nonbinary youth and there are basically no resources currently directed towards cisgender siblings of trans and nonbinary youth.
What's included in this study? We are conducting five focus groups with trans and nonbinary youth and five focus groups with cisgender siblings of trans and nonbinary youth. In these groups, participants will first respond to three prompts that were developed in conjunction with the Trans-ilience Team’s Community Advisory Board. Following the generation of their responses, the groups are taught the basics of data analysis. The participants are then supported as they collaboratively engage in within-group analysis of their own responses. Upon the completion of data collection and cross-group analysis, we will reach back out to participants to get their feedback before we translate our findings into both academic and community centered outputs.
What's the current status of this study? This study began in fall of 2025 and is ongoing. We have completed conducting focus groups with trans and nonbinary siblings and are currently still recruiting cisgender siblings.
What are the findings from this study? We are still in the process of conducting this study and will share more updates as things progress.
Funders: This study is funded by the Society for Community Research and Action Student Research Grant; Michigan State University Department of Psychology Graduate Student Justice, Diversity, Equity, or Inclusion Research Grant; and Michigan State University Consortium for Sexual & Gender Minority Health Seed Grant.
Healing, Empowerment, and Affirmation for Resilience Transgender Communities: HEART
This is a community co-designed intervention to promote resilience for trans and nonbinary communities
Researchers: This study is led by Dr. Jae Puckett.
Overall Aims: Building on the existing research on resilience in trans and nonbinary communities, we are working on developing an intervention to support resilience and positive outcomes for trans and nonbinary people. This work draws on the Multidimensional TNB Resilience Framework. The intervention will be an online, asynchronous intervention for adults. This project is specifically focused on co-designing this intervention with the Trans-ilience Community Advisory Board and gathering community input on the intervention.
What's included in this study? We have spent extensive time with the Community Advisory Board to co-design the intervention. We are developing a variety of materials for the intervention, including personal stories, multi-media components, and reflective activities and exercises. After the program is fully developed, we will then seek additional input from other community members through think aloud testing. Afterwards, we will pilot test the feasibility of the intervention as well.
What's the current status of this study? This study began in fall of 2025 and is ongoing. We hope to finish development and test the feasibility of the study by summer of 2026.
What are the findings from this study? We are still in the process of conducting this study and will share more updates as things progress. Here are a few posters we have done about this work so far:
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This poster focuses on the full process of co-developing this intervention with our research team and community advisory board.
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This poster details the human-centered design principles that guided our team's co-development of activities to promote intersectional resilience to include in this intervention.
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This poster focuses on the brainstorming process that our team engaged in to generate activities for the module of this intervention on societal resilience.
Funders: This study is funded by the Michigan State University School of Social Work.
Michigan Health Equity Assessment across Locales: HEAL
This study will use a community-engaged, mixed-methods approach to assess Michigan communities' health and healthcare needs.
Researchers: This study is co-led by Drs. Jae Puckett and Aldo Barrita
Overall Aims: The purpose of this research is assess LGBTQ+ health disparities and variations in healthcare access in Michigan. We also hope to learn more about specific risk and protective factors related to LGBTQ+ Michigander's health and their healthcare experiences. Lastly, we aim to use community-engaged dissemination methods to share the results of this project with healthcare providers across Michigan.
What's included in this study? This study will include frequent consultation with our community advisory board. We will first host a series of virtual community meetings with LGBTQ+ individuals who live across the state of Michigan to gather their input on the study’s goals and the key factors to be addressed. We will use this input to influence the surveys we will then distribute to 500 LGBTQ+ Michiganders to assess their health and healthcare experiences. We will then distribute educational materials about study findings to Michigan healthcare providers.
What's the current status of this study? This study began in summer of 2026 and is ongoing.
What are the findings from this study? We are still in the process of conducting this study and will share more updates as things progress.
Funders: This study is funded by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation