Ryan J. Watson, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Center for Research on Sexual Violence & Empowerment

Associate Professor, Human Development & Family Sciences

(he/him)

Ryan J. Watson is an associate professor at the University of Connecticut. His program of research is focused on reducing health disparities among sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth and young adults. Motivated by the urgent need to reduce the inequities in health for vulnerable populations, Watson focuses his scholarship on SGM youth and young adults, their relationships within family and school contexts, and their health experiences. He currently focuses on the health (in particular, substance use and disordered eating) among SGM adolescents (funded by NIH, R03DA046827) and emerging adults. His research utilizes data from my LGBTQ+ National Teen Survey, a dataset of 17,000+ SGM youth aged 13-17 from across the United States. Watson’s research has been featured on CNN, NPR, Washington Post, Live Science, USA Today, and several other media outlets. His current program of research (funded by NIH, K01DA047918) focuses on preventing health disparities (e.g., HIV) through prevention and intervention strategies (e.g., PrEP) attune to intersectionality.