What inspired you to take on the role of Editor-in-Chief for Global LGBTQ+ Health, and why do you feel this journal is needed now?

My motivation for taking on the role of Editor-in-Chief for Global LGBTQ+ Health is rooted in many years of working at the intersection of LGBTQ+ health, population health research, and health equity - often within publishing landscapes that were not fully equipped to support this work. My experience as Program Chair of the LGBTQ Health Caucus of the American Public Health Association exposed me to the breadth, depth, and global potential of LGBTQ+ health research. This became even more apparent through my role as co-editor and co-author of the edited volume Global LGBTQ Health: Research, Policy, Practice, and Pathways (Springer Nature, 2024), as well as my work as editor of the Global LGBTQ Health book series for Springer Nature. Together, these experiences underscored the importance of centering both Global South and Global North contexts, fostering cross-regional comparisons, and creating space for scholarship that moves beyond singular geographic or disciplinary frameworks.

Although LGBTQ+ health research has expanded substantially, much of it remains concentrated in Global North countries and framed through relatively narrow biomedical or behavioral perspectives. Interdisciplinary, community-engaged, and Global South–led scholarship has often struggled to find a consistent and welcoming home. At a time of increasing political polarization, structural inequality, and global shifts in power, LGBTQ+ communities worldwide are experiencing both heightened visibility and intensified backlash - developments with clear implications for health and healthcare systems. Global LGBTQ+ Health aims to address these gaps by providing a dedicated, inclusive, and intellectually rigorous platform for globally engaged, policy-relevant, and methodologically diverse research.

How does your professional journey shape the way you approach LGBTQ+ health research and editorial leadership?

My professional journey has been intentionally interdisciplinary. Although my undergraduate training was in biology, my graduate education is grounded in the humanities and social sciences, and my formal training in public and population health began during my postdoctoral fellowship in social and behavioral science research focused on HIV and substance use. Over the course of my career, I have examined health disparities across LGBTQ+ populations and, more recently, completed a Sc.M. in cardiovascular disease epidemiology, which included training in kidney disease, diabetes, obesity, and aging. My work is also shaped by training in the humanities and social sciences, including gender studies, LGBTQ+ studies, ethnic studies, and critical approaches to health and medicine, with close attention to socio-political and historical context.

This interdisciplinary foundation strongly informs my approach to editorial leadership. I value methodological rigor, but I am equally attentive to theory, context, and power - particularly when evaluating research involving marginalized communities. I am mindful of how editorial processes can unintentionally reproduce inequities through methodological gatekeeping, language expectations, or narrow definitions of impact. As Editor-in-Chief, my goal is to foster an editorial culture that is transparent, supportive, and constructive, especially for scholars working across disciplines or outside dominant academic centers.

What is your vision for the journal in its first few years, and how do you hope it will influence global conversations around this topic?

In its first few years, I envision Global LGBTQ+ Health establishing itself as a truly international and interdisciplinary journal - one that scholars actively seek out because they trust the review process and know their work will be thoughtfully engaged within a global conversation. I hope to see submissions that span regions, methods, and topics, with particular attention to work led by scholars and practitioners based in the Global South and other historically underrepresented settings.

Beyond publishing individual articles, I hope the journal will help shape broader conversations about what LGBTQ+ health research can and should look like. This includes moving beyond deficit-based narratives, centering structural and social determinants of health, encouraging cross-national and cross-regional perspectives, and highlighting research with clear implications for policy, education, and practice. Ultimately, I see the journal as a catalyst for collaboration and dialogue across borders and disciplines, including partnerships among Global South countries themselves.

What emerging or under-researched areas in LGBTQ+ health do you hope the journal will help bring to the forefront?

Many areas of LGBTQ+ health remain under-researched, particularly outside North American and Western European contexts. I am especially interested in scholarship that examines LGBTQ+ health across the life course, including aging, chronic disease, and disability. To date, much LGBTQ+ research has focused on younger populations, which limits our understanding of long-term health trajectories and constrains efforts to support whole-person, community-centered, and clinical care.

There is also a critical need for more research on LGBTQ+ health within health systems, including medical education, provider training, and institutional policy, particularly in Global South contexts. While much existing scholarship emphasizes individual-level outcomes, less attention has been given to how health systems themselves shape inequities across diverse political, economic, and cultural environments. Health systems-focused research is essential for identifying gaps in training and policy and for translating LGBTQ+ health scholarship into sustainable improvements in care, education, and practice at a global scale.

Finally, I hope the journal will elevate intersectional and community-engaged research that examines how sexuality and gender identity intersect with race, ethnicity, migration, socioeconomic position, dis/ability, and geopolitics, as well as scholarship that reflects critically on data gaps, measurement challenges, and ethical issues in global LGBTQ+ health research.

What advice would you give early-career researchers who want to contribute to this field?

My primary advice to early-career researchers is to approach this work with both rigor and resilience, and to remember that building a scholarly career is a marathon rather than a sprint. Developing strong social support networks and collaborative relationships is essential for navigating the methodological challenges, political sensitivities, and institutional barriers that often accompany LGBTQ+ health research.

I encourage emerging scholars to pursue interdisciplinary training, remain grounded in the communities and contexts they study, and seek out collaborative opportunities whenever possible. I also recommend engaging with the peer-review process as a learning experience—both by submitting work and by serving as a reviewer—as editorial and reviewing experience can be invaluable for developing scholarly voice and confidence.

Finally, I encourage early-career researchers to trust the value of their perspectives and lived experiences, particularly those working across diverse global contexts. LGBTQ+ health research often involves navigating differences in language, resources, political climates, and academic norms, but these challenges also enrich the field and deepen its relevance. Seeking out mentors, collaborators, and publication venues committed to inclusion and respectful engagement can help make this work more sustainable and foster meaningful, globally connected scholarly careers over time.

Global LGBTQ+ Health is now open for submissions, and all publication costs will be covered by Springer Nature until 31 December 2026. Submit now!