Our lab's research seeks to document key mechanisms through which belonging to a socially derogated (i.e., stigmatized group) worsens feelings of belonging and the mental health outcomes of people with non-visible and visible identities (e.g., LGBTQ+ identity, physical disability).

 

We seek to combat societal stigma that worsens health outcomes for marginalized groups by documenting when and why discussions of stigmatized identities are avoided despite being beneficial to stigmatized groups. For example, our research documents the need for explicit identity-affirming cues (and discussions) in academic, organizational, and healthcare settings to combat disparities in these settings.

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The UBSH lab will accept applications for PhD and master's students to start in the lab in the fall of 2025. 

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Dr. Cipollina (she/they) is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at UB. She received her PhD in social psychology at Rutgers University (New Brunswick) with an interdisciplinary certificate in health. Before joining UB, Rebecca completed a postdoctoral fellowship (in a T32 training program funded by NIMH) at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA). Prior to her Ph.D., she received an M.S. from Rutgers University and my B.A. from Hunter College (City University of New York) with majors in psychology and sociology. Dr. Cipollina currently teaches a course on the psychology of gender at UB.

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