• Institute Update
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has named applied social psychologist Lisa Bowleg, Ph.D., M.A. , the 2023 James S. Jackson Memorial Award winner.
Established in 2021, the NIMH James S. Jackson Memorial Award honors outstanding researchers who have demonstrated exceptional achievement and leadership in mental health disparities research and excellence in mentorship, influence, and support of trainees. The award is named after the renowned social scientist James S. Jackson, Ph.D. , who was the Daniel Katz Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan, co-director of the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research, and founder of the Program for Research on Black Americans. Dr. Jackson’s studies on race, ethnicity, racism, and health significantly impacted research on racialized health disparities and minority mental health.
Dr. Bowleg’s work focuses on social-structural and behavioral factors that impact the mental and physical health of U.S. Black men at diverse intersections of socioeconomic status and sexuality. She is a professor of applied social psychology in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at The George Washington University and co-director of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Core of the District of Columbia Center for AIDS Research . She is also the founder and president of the Intersectionality Training Institute .
Dr. Bowleg’s current areas of research include understanding the effects of social-structural stressors, stigma, discrimination, and various protective factors on the mental health, substance use, HIV risk, and physical health outcomes of Black men in the United States and understanding the impact of intersectional discrimination and protective factors on the health and well-being of Black lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
Dr. Bowleg has published over 85 articles, several of which have been cited more than 2,300 times. She serves as an editor for, or on the editorial board of, several well-respected journals, including the American Journal of Public Health and the Journal of Sex Research. In 2021, The George Washington University awarded Dr. Bowleg the Oscar and Shoshana Trachtenberg Prize for Scholarship (Research). She was also awarded the 2021 Lawrence W. Green Paper of the Year Award by Health, Education and Behavior, the journal of the Society for Public Health Education, in recognition of her article, “‘The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House’: Ten Critical Lessons for Black and Other Health Equity Researchers of Color .”
In addition to her research and editorial activities, Dr. Bowleg nurtures the next generation of scientists through her mentorship and guidance of doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and early stage investigators.
Please join NIMH in congratulating Dr. Bowleg on this incredible recognition of her research and mentorhsip.