Who we are

The Mathis Lab works to improve and advocate for the mental health and whole health for people of color. We do this by researching how stress and systemic inequities affect behavior and health and by working directly with Black and Brown communities to share evidence-based knowledge and provide resources to bridge the gap between research and practice.

Meet the Team

  • Dr. Karen Jennings Mathis

    Lead Principal Investigator

    Read Bio

  • Emma Kosoy

    Senior Research Assistant

    Read Bio

Previous lab members

Alexis Tavares

Undergraduate Research Fellow at University of Rhode Island (2018-2021)

Heidi Sakovits

Undergraduate Research Fellow at University of Rhode Island (2018-2019)

Natalie Hampton

Graduate Research Volunteer at Brown University School of Public Health (2025)

Holly Carden

Undergraduate Research Fellow at University of Rhode Island (2020-2021)

Francisco Marquez

Graduate Research Assistant (2018-2020) and focused primarily on statistical analyses. He is now a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Program at the University of Alabama.

victoria manning

Undergraduate Research Assistant at University of Rhode Island (2020-2021)

Jennifer Wishtischin

Graduate Research Assistant (2020) and graduated from the URI psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner post-certificate program.

Sophie Baldwin

Classical High School Volunteer, Current Brown University Undergraduate Student (2024-2025)

join the team!

  • media intern

    We are looking for a driven, social media savvy 14-18 year old to help us create health-focused content on social media.

    This is a great opportunity if you’d like to get more exposure to working in health communication, social media, public health, research, and/or the health field.

    email us for more info!

Contact us

Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!