In the Media
Dr. Brian Keum spoke to ABC30 Fresno about the concerns on increasing suicide rates among Asian American and Pacific Islander youth.
Our JAMA Network Open paper on AAPI suicide rates was featured on NBC News.
Dr. Brian Keum was featured in a USA Today’s article discussing new report on increasing online racial discrimination in gaming against racially minoritized youth and emerging adults, particularly against BIPOC and women youth.
Dr. Brian Keum was quoted in USA Today’s article on racism in online gaming and its toll on racially minoritized youth’s mental health. Our research on racism in online gaming was highlighted!
Dr. Brian Keum spoke with and contributed to an article by the American Psychological Association on the latest research and advances in mitigating cyberbullying
Dr. Brian Keum spoke with Slate on gendered racism in dating platforms against Asian men
Our research on gendered racial microaggressions and suicide ideation among Asian American women was covered by Mad in America Science, Psychiatry, and Social Justice
Our research on online racism in gaming has been quoted by an article in GameStar
Our recent study examining suicide ideation associated with gendered racial microaggressions and internalized racism among Asian American women has been covered by the Daily Bruin!
Spotlight
Lucy Xie received the BIRCh Fellowship. The BIRCh Fellowship is coordinated by UMass Boston and UMass Amherst and is funded by Boston Children’s Hospital. It aims to promote equitable interconnected behavioral health systems across Massachusetts. Fellows receive a $10,000 stipend, personalized mentorship from experienced behavioral health providers, and access to remote seminars as well as additional networking and professional development opportunities.
Angela Yang and Cathy Zhu presented research on online gendered racism at the 2025 Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in Denver!
In partnership with Anise Health, a digital mental health platform providing culturally-informed therapy for Asian Americans, Dr. Keum was awarded a $600K Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)!
DEAO Lab and Dr. Ankhi Thakurta presented a symposium titled “Examining and disrupting anti-Blackness among Asian emerging adults in the U.S.” at the 2024 Diversity Challenge Conference hosted by the Boston College’s Institute for the Study of Race and Culture. Congrats to doc students Lucy Xie and Cathy Zhu on their presentations!
The American Psychological Association’s Division 49 Society for Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy honored Dr. Brian Keum with the 2024 Award for Outstanding Professional Contribution to Diversity in Group Psychology or Psychotherapy!
Our STOREY (STOrying Racism to Empower Youth) project received funding from the APA Division 49 Group Psychology! The funding will be used to pilot test the impact STOREY intervention can have on anti-racism advocacy.
Dr. Brian Keum was awarded three distinguished early career awards this year (2023) from three divisions of the American Psychological Association! He received the Distinguished Early Career Professional Contributions to Media Psychology & Technology Award, Division 46 Society for Media Psychology and Technology; Fritz & Linn Kuder Early Career Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Counseling Psychology, Division 17 Society for Counseling Psychology; and the Emerging Professional – Contributions to Research Award, Division 45 Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race.
We have some amazing graduation news to share! We are excited to share that lab member Michele Wong (left) graduated with a Ph.D. in Social Welfare. Congratulations to Dr. Wong! She will continue her important work as a postdoctoral scholar at UCLA’s Initiative to Study Hate. We are also excited to share that her sister, and lab member, Lianne Wong (right) graduated with a Master of Public Health from UCLA! Congratulations to Lianne!
Lab member Mary Nguyen also graduated with a Master in Social Welfare and Master in Public Policy from UCLA! Congratulations to Mary!
Lab director Dr. Brian Keum spoke as an invited speaker for the Society for Prevention Research Diversity Network Committee Speaker Series: Advances in Prevention Science, Diversity, and Inclusion, Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!
Lab director Dr. Brian Keum was awarded a grant from the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program to study links between online racism and high rates of smoking among Black emerging adults. The three-year grant of more than $775,000 will also support Keum’s partnership with the California Youth Advocacy Network to conduct community- and campus-based anti-racism advocacy programs.
At the 2022 American Psychological Association Annual Convention, lab director Dr. Brian Keum was awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Scholarship on Race and Ethnicity Award from the Section on Ethnic and Racial Diversity, Division 17 Society for Counseling Psychology. The award honors scholarly contribution that advances the field’s knowledge of people of color, race and ethnicity, or racism. He was also awarded the Researcher of the Year Award from the Division 51 Society for Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities. The award honors outstanding published research concerning males and masculinities.
Lab director Dr. Brian Keum has received the 2022 National Multicultural Conference and Summit Rising Star Award for his significant contributions to the field of multicultural psychology. Awarded biennially, the prestigious Rising Star Award honors the achievements of early-career psychologists in multicultural research, teaching, advocacy, policy, and clinical care.
Lab members Rangeena Salim-Eissa and Michele Wong presented our findings on suicidal ideation risk associated with gendered racial microaggressions and internalized racism among Asian American emerging adult women at the 2021 annual convention of the Association for Psychological Science. Click on the image to view the poster. Click here to listen.
Dr. Keum presented on gendered racism and mental health among Asian American women and men at the 2021 Youth Suicide Research Consortium’s National Conference as one of the panelists for the opening day keynote on Suicidal Behaviors among Asian-American Youth: Current Research and Future Directions (click to view).