VU Faculty Receive $1.9M Grant for LGBT Focused Study

The National Institute on Aging has awarded a five-year, $1.9 million grant to four Vanderbilt faculty members to study the health effects of social and support networks on sexual and gender minorities 50 to 70 years old in the South.

300w" alt="John Geer, dean of the College of Arts and Science and the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of Political Science (Anne Rayner / Vanderbilt)" data-attachment-id="275333" data-permalink="https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2018/06/14/political-scientist-and-strategic-leader-john-geer-named-dean-of-college-of-arts-and-science/john-geer4/" data-orig-file="https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-news/files/20190417211619/John-Geer4.jpg" data-orig-size="368,552" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"4.5","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS 5D Mark III","caption":"John G. Geer,Ph.D., Vice- Provost for Academic & Strategic Affairs\rOffice of Academic & Faculty Affairs\rVanderbilt University\r\r\rPhoto: Anne Rayner; VU","created_timestamp":"1528787178","copyright":"","focal_length":"70","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.01","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="John-Geer4" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-news/files/20190417211619/John-Geer4-300x450.jpg" data-large-file="https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-news/files/20190417211619/John-Geer4.jpg" />
John Geer, Ginny and Conner Searcy Dean of the College of Arts and Science (Anne Rayner / Vanderbilt)

Tara McKay, assistant professor of medicine, health and society, will lead the study in collaboration with Christopher “Kitt” Carpenter, E. Bronson Ingram Chair in Economics and director of Public Policy Studies; Lauren Gaydosh, assistant professor of medicine, health, and society and public policy studies; and Gilbert Gonzales, assistant professor of health policy. All four work with the LGBT Policy Lab, an initiative funded through a 2017 Trans-Institutional Programs award.

“The results of this study will have wide-reaching effects on policy and prevention efforts to reduce health disparities driven by sexual orientation and gender identity,” said John Geer, Ginny and Conner Searcy Dean of the College of Arts and Science. “I’m thankful to this incredible team of forward-thinking researchers who are leading critical research in this important area. Simply put: it is game changing.”

401w, 768w" alt="Tara McKay, assistant professor of medicine, health and society (Vanderbilt University)" data-attachment-id="301002" data-permalink="https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2019/10/04/vu-faculty-receive-1-9m-to-study-lgbt-social-networks-health-issues-among-older-adults/mckay_tara_crop/" data-orig-file="https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-news/files/20191003182545/McKay_Tara_crop.jpg" data-orig-size="2425,3625" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS 5D Mark II","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1569412934","copyright":"","focal_length":"85","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.00625","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="McKay_Tara_crop" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-news/files/20191003182545/McKay_Tara_crop-401x600.jpg" data-large-file="https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-news/files/20191003182545/McKay_Tara_crop-1070x1600.jpg" />
Tara McKay, assistant professor of medicine, health and society (Vanderbilt University)

The study will collect new longitudinal panel data from a cohort of 50- to 70-year-old sexual and gender minorities (SGM) living in and around four midsize cities in the South: Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Nashville, Tennessee. The study, which will include suburban and rural areas often ignored by researchers, aims to examine the drivers of disparities in morbidity, disability, diagnosis and mortality for older SGM adults. This includes looking at exposure to stress due to one’s minority status and differences in social and support networks.

By investigating these factors, the team hopes to learn more about how a person’s social networks, and the support they provide, shape responses to negative experiences, including discrimination, harassment and violence. In addition, the team will examine the effects of these life experiences on physical and mental health, morbidity and disability.

McKay has previously led a study on social network effects on health among older SGM adults in San Francisco as part of a larger University of California, Berkeley study. McKay ultimately plans to compare patterns and variations in outcomes between populations in California, Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee.

Visit the Center for Medicine, Health and Society website to learn more about the grant and details of the study.

 

Vanderbilt originally published this article by Jalen Blue.

WhistlePig + Alfa Romeo F1

SHOREHAM, VT (September 13, 2023) — WhistlePig Whiskey, the leaders in independent craft whiskey, and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake are waving the checkered flag on a legend-worthy release that’s taking whiskey to G-Force levels. The Limited Edition PiggyBack Legends Series: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is a high Rye Whiskey selected by the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake drivers, with barrels trialed in their wind tunnel to ensure a thrilling taste in every sip.

The third iteration in WhistlePig’s Single Barrel PiggyBack Legends Series, the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is bottled at 96.77 proof, a nod to Valtteri Bottas’ racing number, 77, and the precision of racing. Inspired by Zhou Guanyu, the first Chinese F1 driver, this Rye Whiskey is finished with lychee and oolong tea. Herbal and floral notes of the oolong tea complement the herbaceous notes of WhistlePig’s signature PiggyBack 100% Rye, rounded out with a juicy tropical fruit finish and a touch of spice.

Keep readingShow less
by Spectrum Medical Care Center

Nurse Practitioner Ari Kravitz

When I started medical transition at 20 years old, it was very difficult to get the care I needed for hormone replacement therapy because there are very few providers trained in starting hormones for trans people, even though it’s very similar to the hormones that we prescribe to women in menopause or cisgender men with low testosterone.

I hope more providers get trained in LGBTQ+ healthcare, so they can support patients along their individual gender journey, and provide the info needed to make informed decisions about their body. I’ve personally seen my trans patients find hope and experience a better quality of life through hormone replacement therapy.

Keep readingShow less

Descanso Resort swimming pool and lounge area

Descanso Resort, Palm Springs' premier destination for gay men, just received Tripadvisor's highest honor, a Travelers' Choice "Best of the Best" award for 2023. Based on guests' reviews and ratings, fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor's 8 million listings around the world receive the coveted "Best of the Best" designation. Descanso ranked 12th in the top 25 small inns and hotels category in the United States. Quite an accomplishment!

Open less than two years, Descanso Resort offers gay men a relaxing and luxurious boutique hotel experience just minutes away from Palm Springs' buzziest restaurants, nightclubs, and shopping. Descanso has quickly established itself as a top destination for sophisticated gay travelers, earning hundreds of 5-star guest reviews and consistently ranking in Trapadvisor's top positions alongside brother properties Santiago Resort and Twin Palms Resort.

Keep readingShow less