ISGMH Interviews: Christopher Owens, Postdoctoral Scholar

Christopher Owens, Ph.D., M.P.H., is a postdoctoral scholar at the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH). Owens studies sexual and gender minorities (SGM) who live in rural areas, populations that face unique health disparities and service access challenges compared to their urban counterparts. ISGMH was able to bring Owens to the institute as a postdoctoral scholar because of generous funding from donors dedicated to diversifying the field of SGM health and wellbeing research. We spoke to Owens about his interest in rural SGM health, his time at ISGMH, and his upcoming appointment as tenure-track faculty at Texas A&M University.

What drives you to study rural populations, and why is it important to look at SGM populations living in rural areas?

I am driven to study sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations for three reasons. First, and a personal reason, I grew up in a non-urban area. I have an insider perspective of the strengths and challenges rural SGM adolescents and adults face (although my lived experiences only relate to the identities I identify with). Second, and a historical reason, research overwhelmingly samples SGM populations who live in urban or metropolitan areas. A recent report estimated that 15-20% of the total United States SGM population lives in a non-urban area—that is 2.9-3.8 million people! The scholarship for rural SGM health is growing, but research on rural SGM adolescents is still in its infancy. The population is there, but sometimes there are recruitment challenges. Third and finally, rural SGM communities face health disparities. We know certain health disparities disproportionately affect rural communities, and we know there are health disparities between urban and rural SGM communities. We know the rural health and social service infrastructure is lacking in terms of shortages of services, lack of competencies, and discriminatory policies. The field needs researchers who are interested in advancing the health equity of rural SGM communities.

What have you gained or learned at your time spent as a postdoctoral scholar at ISGMH?

So much! Being at ISGMH has been a wonderful, collaborative, and life-changing environment for me. ISGMH faculty, staff, and students are outstanding researchers and advocates who care immensely about advancing SGM health equity. Dr. Kathryn Macapagal has been my primary mentor and has been the best mentor I could have asked for. Much of my training has been in acquiring knowledge and skills in conducting adolescent SGM health research. 

I acquired knowledge and skills in (1) recruiting SGM teens and young adults from the Keep It Up! and SMART project teams, (2) designing large and mixed-method surveys from Drs. Macapagal, David Moskowitz, Brian Mustanski, and the Keep It Up! and SMART teams, (3) writing and revising grants from Drs. Macapagal, Mustanski, and Michael Newcomb, (4) designing implementation science projects from Drs. Dennis Li and Mustanski, and (5) conducting and writing adolescent SGM research from Drs. Macapagal and Moskowitz and the SMART team. I look forward to continuing and finishing ISGMH projects between now and August that aim to advance SGM teen health equity, including rural LGBTQ teen health equity.

Where are you headed after completing your postdoc at ISGMH?

I am sad to leave ISGMH, but it is the natural progression of things. I am excited to announce that I will start in August 2021 as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at the Texas A&M University College of Education and Human Development. It will be a wonderful opportunity to conduct research and advance the health equity of rural SGM adolescents.

For donors looking to make an impact on SGM communities, why should they consider funding health research and researchers?

It might be cheesy to say, but there is a famous saying, “If not you, then who? If not now, then when?” I think this is a core sentiment among the ISGMH community. The SGM community has faced and continues to face disparities. Now is the time for advancing SGM health equity. ISGMH is the largest SGM health research center in the country, and ISGMH is committed in preparing the next stage of SGM health researchers. That being said, there are challenges—like funding and what funding mechanisms say can and cannot be studied. Dr. Moskowitz said something I will never forgot. He said research and writing is like making marinara sauce, and we all have our own recipes. I am going to extend that. Sometimes, researchers are limited by what ingredients we can add or what food we can make based on the recipe book we are following. Donors have the opportunity to contribute to making the sauce and creating new recipes.