A deaf, Indian psychologist who has been awarded more than $15 million for her work towards health equity involving deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people who use American Sign Language
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Dr. Kushalnagaropens in new window is an Asian-American developmental psychologist who is deaf and neurodiverse. She received her doctorate at the University of Houston and completed two postdoctoral training experiences: one at the Seattle Quality of Life Center at Washington and the other at University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Dr. Kushalnagar joined Gallaudet University in 2016, where she serves as director of the Center for Deaf Health Equity and chief research officer in the Office of Research. Gallaudet University is a bilingual institution that offers education to deaf and hard-of-hearing students using American Sign Language and English. Dr. Kushalnagar has an incredibly impressive track record as an internationally recognized researcher. She has received more than $15 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health to conduct research and has published over 100 articles.
Dr. Kushalnagar’s research addresses systemic barriers to healthcare that deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people experience. Her many scholarly contributions include research on patient reported outcomes, health communication, and applied interventions designed to reduce health disparities among youth and adults with sensory disabilities.
Kushalnagar, P., Ammons, D., Engelman, A., Hanumantha, S., & Wilson, J. (2023). "Left Behind and Ignored": Increasing awareness and accessibility of resources for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the deaf community. Public Health Reports, 138(4), 573–577. https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549221110298opens in new window
Kushalnagar, P., Ryan, C., Paludneviciene, R., Spellun, A., & Gulati, S. (2020). Adverse childhood communication experiences associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases in adults who are deaf. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 59(4), 548–554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.04.016opens in new window
Health and Wellness, Disparities, Bias
The development of resources to broaden diversity and representation in the teaching of high school psychology resources is an APA Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools initiative supported by funding from the American Psychological Foundation David and Carol Myers Fund. This resource was developed by Kara Ayers, PhD; Emily Lund, PhD; Erika Sanborne; and Allison Shaver.