Paz Galupo, Audre Lorde Distinguished Professor of Sexual Health & Education at the Brown School, has received the 2025 Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, Division 44 of the American Psychological Association (APA).
Division 44 focuses on the diversity of human sexual orientations by supporting research, promoting relevant education, and affecting professional and public policy.
The Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award honors individuals who have made significant theoretical or empirical contributions to lesbian, gay, or bisexual psychological issues. Recipients have contributed to the development of a science of LGBT psychology and have provided the scientific basis for practice, education, and the development of public policy. Many past awardees are pioneers who first posed affirmative research questions about the lives of LGBT people, their families, and their communities.
Galupo noted, “It is particularly meaningful to have my contributions elevated at a time when queer and trans research has been unfairly targeted, and misinformation about trans identities and gender-affirming care is being prioritized over well-established scientific evidence.” Galupo documents, in their recent article in The Conversation the impact of the recent NIH grant terminations on their research program and the field of transgender health. This July, two of their research grants were reinstated but only after having to delay data collection and let go of key research team members.
Galupo’s longstanding research program, The Queer/Trans Collective for Research on Equity & Wellness (QT-CREW), centers on those most marginalized in the LGBTQ+ community. QT-CREW conducts community-based research to ensure that the lived experiences of queer, transgender, and QT-BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) are reflected in the scientific literature and to create knowledge designed to improve their lives and well-being.
A fellow of the APA, Galupo serves as editor of Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, the official journal of Division 44, and of the Journal of Bisexuality. They also serve as the co-chair of the APA task force updating guidelines for psychological practice with transgender and nonbinary persons.
Division 44 award recipients will be formally recognized at the APA Convention in Denver, August 7-9.