Jillian R. Scheer, PhD, is a licensed counseling psychologist, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Rhode Island, and Director of the Minority Stress & Trauma (MST) Lab. Dr. Scheer is also a research affiliate at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS at the Yale School of Public Health.

Dr. Scheer earned a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Boston College and completed a predoctoral clinical internship at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s/West Hospital in New York City. Dr. Scheer also completed an NIMH T32 postdoctoral fellowship in psychiatric epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health. Dr. Scheer is the author of 93 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. Dr. Scheer’s research has been supported by grants from NIAAA, NIMHD, the William T. Grant Foundation, and the American Psychological Foundation. Dr. Scheer’s work has been recognized through several awards (e.g., NIMHD Research Institute Scholar, NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health).

Dr. Scheer’s research focuses on the biopsychosocial factors that shape alcohol and other drug use, posttraumatic stress, and chronic pain among underserved populations (e.g., sexual and gender minority people, women living with HIV, those with lived experience of sexual and relationship violence). Dr. Scheer’s work combines ecological momentary assessment, longitudinal and experimental methods, physiological stress paradigms, qualitative research, and randomized controlled trials to identify mechanisms of risk and resilience. Dr. Scheer also studies barriers and facilitators to help-seeking and care engagement and develops scalable interventions to improve mental and behavioral health outcomes.

Gabriella (Gabby) Epshteyn Gabby is a third-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program under the mentorship of Dr. Jillian Scheer. She graduated with her BA in Psychology from Baruch College, City University of New York, and earned her Masters in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in global mental health and trauma from Columbia University, Teachers College. Before coming to URI, Gabby served in various research coordinator/program manager roles across the Veterans Health Administration, Columbia University, and the Mount Sinai Health System. Gabby’s research focuses on the intersection of suicide, trauma, substance use, and personality disorders, with an emphasis on adapting transdiagnostic mindfulness-based interventions within historically underrepresented and marginalized communities. In Gabby’s free time she enjoys thrifting and spending time with her two dogs.

Rachel Girard is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Rhode Island, where she works in the MST Lab under Dr. Jillian Scheer. Her research focuses on substance use stigma and its downstream effects on healthcare access and treatment engagement with a particular interest in systems-level change. This includes how providers across healthcare settings are trained to talk with patients about substance use and treatment, how referral pathways and brief interventions might be better structured to meet patients at varying levels of motivation and readiness, and what role stigma plays in shaping those processes at both the individual and structural level. Her F31-funded dissertation examines buprenorphine prescriber stigma in the Veterans Health Administration, exploring how provider attitudes and structural barriers influence MOUD treatment decisions. She also collaborates with the MI-ACRE Lab at Michigan Medicine and with the Behavioral Medicine Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, working with Dr. Jackie Foley. Clinically, Rachel specializes in substance use and co-occurring disorders, and is passionate about expanding providers’ comfort and competence in this work, particularly through approaches grounded in the principles of motivational interviewing, which she sees as a foundation for non-stigmatizing, patient-centered care across all healthcare settings. Across her work, she is committed to culturally grounded, community-informed approaches to health disparities in substance use treatment. Her long-term goal is a faculty role in an academic medical center where clinical practice, provider education, and scholarship inform one another. Above all, she approaches her work as a lifelong learner, believing that curiosity and humility are as essential to good clinical and scientific practice as any specific methodology. In her free time she enjoys spending time with loved ones, including her pup, Olive, playing volleyball, reading psychological thrillers (as if this field is not enough), and cooking meals with lots of cheese!

Selected publications:

• Girard et al. (2025). Diversity in opioid-related stigma interventions: A systematic review. Addictive Behaviors.
• Wang, Girard et al. (in press). Expressive flexibility as a buffer in the association between substance use stigma and drug use problems among substance-using individuals with depression. Stigma and Health.
• Girard et al. (2024). Telehealth-delivered psychotherapy for the treatment of alcohol use disorder: Patient perspectives in the age of COVID-19. Journal of Addiction Medicine.
• Girard et al. (2025). The protective role of culture and family disapproval on substance use among American Indian adolescents. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
• Girard et al. (in preparation). Clinician perspectives on alcohol stereotypes among American Indians: A preliminary mixed-methods study

Katya Rashkovsky is a first-year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student mentored by Dr. Jillian Scheer. They earned their B.S. in Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, San Diego. During and after completing their undergraduate degree, Katya worked as a research assistant and coordinator at the San Diego Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, supporting various projects focused on increasing access to and enhancing the efficacy of treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They are interested in research on developing and evaluating scalable, accessible interventions for PTSD and minority stress, particularly in sexual and gender minority populations. Outside of research, they enjoy rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, and spending time with their cat (Styles) and dog (Sky).

Natalie Chasten graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in nutrition. She is thrilled to be supporting the Minority Stress & Trauma Lab as a research assistant and hopes to pursue a graduate degree in psychology in the future. Her research interests include behavioral endocrinology, eating disorder behaviors, sports psychology, and mental health interventions for sexual and gender minorities.

Makayla Leon is a senior working on her BA in Psychology and BA in Criminology/Criminal Justice at the University of Rhode Island. Her research interests include the impact of stressors on the health of marginalized communities and forensic psychology. She also plans to pursue a graduate degree in psychology in the future. She is excited to be a part of the Minority Stress & Trauma Lab as a research assistant!

Zachary Theisen is a senior working toward his Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Rhode Island. His academic interests focus on the social and multicultural aspects of psychology, and he plans to continue his education in URI’s Master of Science program in Mental Health Counseling. He is eager to gain valuable experience and insight through his role as a research assistant with the Minority Stress & Trauma Lab. 

Kayla Archer is a junior at URI, double majoring in Neuropharmacology (B.S) and Psychology (B.S) with hopes of obtaining a career in clinical research. Her role as an undergraduate research assistant includes participant engagement and recruitment, collecting physiological data, and interpreting data collected from the studies. She is excited to work with the Minority Stress & Trauma Lab to gain experience in biopsychosocial research!

Joslyn Brown is a sophomore at the University of Rhode Island studying Clinical Neuroscience. As an undergraduate research assistant in the MST Lab, she supports participant recruitment for ongoing studies and work with the research team to administer the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) protocol. She is passionate about advancing the understanding of mental health and expanding access to mental health care, and thankful that her work in the MST Lab allows her to actively contribute toward these goals!

Nathalie Benitez is a junior at the University of Rhode Island pursuing a B.S. in Psychology on the premed track. She is an aspiring psychiatrist with a strong commitment to supporting minoritized and marginalized communities. Nathalie joined the Minority Stress Lab to deepen her understanding of how identity‑based stress affects mental health and to learn how research can inform more inclusive, culturally responsive care.

Lucas Johnson is a first semester transfer student with an AA in Biology from CCRI. Lucas transferred to URI to study neuroscience and the implications on daily stresses and habits that create our health, as well as holistic forms of healing. The MST Lab is a great opportunity to work with researching biopsychological factors, and being able to understand the implications of said factors.

Pras Subedi is a rising Neuroscience and Anthropology double major with a minor in Queer Studies and certificate in Public Health at the College of Wooster. Their research interests are focused on the long-term physiological and neuroendocrine effects of stress in marginalized/minoritized population and subsequent health disparities. Pras is excited to join the lab for Summer 2026!