The primary focus of Dr. Heck’s research involves the study of health outcomes, broadly defined, among LGBT individuals. Working within a Minority Stress (Meyer, 2003) framework, Dr. Heck has often studied the school experiences of LGBT students as they relate to academic, mental health, and substance use outcomes. Dr. Heck plans to expand this line of research by studying how interventions with empirical support can be adapted and tailored to address the unique stressors and needs of LGBT individuals more broadly. Future research from Dr. Heck’s lab at Marquette will emphasize interpersonal relationships in order to better understand how minority stress impacts LGBT people and their friends/family.
