Intersectional Sociological Health Equity Research (ISHER) Lab
Lab Vision
The Intersectional Sociological Health Equity Research (ISHER; pronounced: I – she – her) lab includes a cadre of scholars conducting sociologically relevant research that advances understanding of the social determinants of health among historically marginalized populations (e.g., Black and Latinx Americans). The ISHER lab aspires to support the scholarly and academic development of researchers across various career stages, disciplinary backgrounds, and diverse lived experiences.
Taking intersectionality as an orienting theoretical framework, our research uncovers how multiple systems of inequality – e.g., racism, sexism, classism, nativism, heterosexism – coalesce to influence physical and psychological well-being. The broader goal of our scholarship is to advance health equity and, ultimately, improve the lives of historically disadvantaged populations.
Dr. Christy L. Erving serves as director of the ISHER lab.
Lab Members
Courtney Williams, MPH, Ph.D
Population Research Center Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Williams is a postdoctoral scholar in the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Given the staggering rates of death among Women/Birthing People of Color, during pregnancy and childbearing in the U.S., she is interested in understanding and improving maternal, reproductive, and family health. Racialization and racism have undeniable consequences for the health of families of color, specifically Black birthing people and their children. In her work. Dr. Williams draws upon her expertise in family, race/ethnicity, health inequities, and maternal/child well-being to address how systemic inequities influence maternal and child morbidity. She employs an intersectional and reproductive justice approach to interrogate a range of health equity topics including (1) heterogeneity in gestational and childbearing outcomes throughout the reproductive life course, and (2) the impact of sociopolitical factors on fertility and health outcomes.
Alexander Holt, MA
Ph.D candidate in Sociology
University of Texas at Austin
Alexander J. Holt is a PhD student in Sociology at the University of Texas at Austin. Through individual and collaborative research at the disciplinary and methodological crossroads of Sociology and Black Studies, he maps the intersectional contours of Black diasporic vulnerability and agency. His current projects mobilize theoretical, empirical, and embodied understandings of Blackness, trauma, wellbeing, and care, to reconcile past, present, and future experiences of epistemic and ontological oppression. Holt received his B.A. in Sociology with minors in French and American Ethnic Studies from Wake Forest University in 2020 and his M.A. in Sociology from UT Austin in 2023.
Shania Montúfar, MA
Ph.D student in Sociology
University of Texas at Austin
Shania is a PhD student in Sociology at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research lies at the intersection of demography, political sociology, immigration, and gender studies. Particularly, her research explores the experiences of Latin American migrants and their children in the United States, especially considering variations across lines of gender, generation, and family heritage. Shania is a former Ronald E. McNair and University of Michigan Summer Research Opportunities Scholar, as well as a current Point Foundation Scholar, RWJ Health Policy Research Scholar, and Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar. She is also a Graduate Student Trainee of the Population Research Center (PRC). Currently, she is examining state-level variations in Latinx mental health and their causes. Shania's research has been showcased at the American Sociological Association, Population Association of America, Sociologists for Women in Society, Midwest Sociological Society, and Southern Sociological Society.
Aigné Taylor
Ph.D student in Sociology
University of Texas at Austin
Aigné Taylor is a Ph.D. student in Sociology at the University of Texas at Austin. She is committed to addressing health disparities, analyzing patient-provider experiences, and conducting groundbreaking research that will change the trajectory of Black maternal health outcomes. Before her matriculation to the University of Texas at Austin, her co-authored research was published in Ethnicity & Health where she assisted with a project that aimed to uplift Black female college students' sexual health challenges. Taylor obtained her B.A. in Political Science and B.A. in Sociology from North Carolina A&T State University.
Francisco Rios Casas, MS
Ph.D student in Sociology
University of Texas at Austin
Francisco Rios Casas is a PhD student in the Department of Sociology and a PRC Graduate Student Trainee at the University of Texas at Austin. He is interested in population health and the biosocial pathways underlying health disparities. He has previously conducted research on mental health, Latino populations in the US, and disease prevention among vulnerable or minoritized populations. He has worked on evaluating the impact and effectiveness of several community-based health interventions in the United States, Central America, and West Africa. He has a bachelor’s degree in Human Biology and American Studies & Ethnicity from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in Epidemiology from the University of Washington School of Public Health.
Previous Research Assistants
KJ Davidson-Turner, MA
KJ Davidson-Turner, MA
KJ Davidson-Turner, MA
Ph.D candidate in Sociology
University of Texas at Austin
KJ Davidson-Turner is a PhD student in the Department of Sociology and a trainee in the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research applies a biosocial lens to examine how stress and discrimination impacts health, with a particular interest in the i
Ph.D candidate in Sociology
University of Texas at Austin
KJ Davidson-Turner is a PhD student in the Department of Sociology and a trainee in the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research applies a biosocial lens to examine how stress and discrimination impacts health, with a particular interest in the impact of stress on women’s hormonal health and aging experiences (e.g., peri-menopause, menopause). Her research has been published in the Cologne Journal of Sociology and Social Psychology, Biodemography and Social Biology, and Sociological Science. KJ is currently a member of the Center of Aging and Population Studies (CAPS), the student coordinator for the Biosocial Working Group, and was a research assistant during AY 2023-2024.
Ashlyn Mikanda
KJ Davidson-Turner, MA
KJ Davidson-Turner, MA
BA in Sociology and Social Work
University of Texas at Austin
Ashlyn Mikanda graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2024 with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work with a minor in Sociology. She was a research assistant with the ISHER lab during AY 2023-2024 and summer 2024. The reason Ashlyn started working with Dr. Erving was b
BA in Sociology and Social Work
University of Texas at Austin
Ashlyn Mikanda graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2024 with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work with a minor in Sociology. She was a research assistant with the ISHER lab during AY 2023-2024 and summer 2024. The reason Ashlyn started working with Dr. Erving was because she took her Social Inequality sociology class and was intrigued by the work that Dr. Erving was doing with Black women. Upon graduation, Ashlyn is interested in working to improve Black women’s reproductive health.
Jocelyn Berry
KJ Davidson-Turner, MA
Jocelyn Berry
BA in Sociology
University of Texas at Austin
Jocelyn Berry graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2024, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Law, Justice, and Society. During her time at UT, she volunteered with many campus organizations, including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and the Texas
BA in Sociology
University of Texas at Austin
Jocelyn Berry graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2024, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Law, Justice, and Society. During her time at UT, she volunteered with many campus organizations, including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and the Texas Black Women Wellness Organization to name a few. Having a keen interest in political advocacy and a desire to increase the number of minority voters in Texas, she is also a Volunteer Deputy Registrar in Travis County. Joclyn worked with the lab during AY 2023-2024. She is currently enrolled in law school at the University of Houston. She aspires to become a Civil Rights attorney and a research professor of law.