Research Lab

Dr. MacPherson’s research lab is broadly interested in understanding and improving the health and wellbeing of underserved populations. The lab is particularly interested in:

  • Health: pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, pelvic pain, reproductive health disorders, IBS, eating behaviors, sleep, healthcare engagement,

  • Mental Health: anxiety, trauma, depression

  • Mental Health Interventions: ACT, self-compassion, writing interventions

  • Underserved Populations: women, racial minorities, veterans, LGBTQ+

Mission & Values

Our group’s mission is ultimately to deeply understand experiences of underserved populations and to find feasible and sensitive ways of improving wellbeing of these populations.

Here’s what we care about:

  • We believe it is important to research strengths of populations, not just challenges.

  • We value using qualitative work because it is important to hear what’s important to people with less assumptions from researchers.

  • We believe it is important to research everyday experiences and challenges, not just mental illness or medical conditions.

  • We believe research is best done in teams where multiple perspectives can be heard.