Advancing LGBTQ+ Health Advocacy and Research at the New York Academy of Medicine Conference

Lindsey Ostermiller, presented her thesis research at the Advocacy in Medicine Conference hosted by the New York Academy of Medicine. (December, 2023)

Lindsey Ostermiller, a current 2nd year PhD student, recently had the opportunity to attend and present at the Advocacy in Medicine Conference hosted by the New York Academy of Medicine. This conference provided a forum focused on patient-centered, humanistic social justice advocacy related to LGBTQ+ health. Lindsey presented her research on mental health disparities and engagement in healthy behaviors among LGBTQ+ graduate students to an engaged audience. She discussed important implications of her findings, including policy changes needed at higher education institutions, implementation of lifestyle screenings, and development of tailored interventions to improve sleep quality. Her work highlighted the bidirectional relationship between mental and physical health in this community.

Lindsey connected with other passionate students interested in advocacy and policy change to improve LGBTQ+ health. She received positive feedback on her research and its potential to shape collaboration between medical fields and psychology to better serve marginalized communities. Lindsey’s research manuscript is currently under review for publication in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine journal. Overall, presenting at this impactful conference allowed Lindsey to advance her advocacy work and share her findings on health disparities and needed interventions with key stakeholders focused on humanistic social justice in medicine. The experience has empowered Lindsey to continue pursuing meaningful work improving LGBTQ+ health outcomes.