The Resilience, Intersectional Stigma, and Empowerment (RISE) Lab is dedicated to making sure our research is shared with communities impacted by the topics we study, the individuals and groups we partner with, healthcare providers, and our colleagues conducting related research to help improve the lives of people navigating substance use, mental health, and other challenges.

Our photovoice participatory photography approach offers an opportunity to display images and text that inspire audiences to engage with artwork that deepens their understanding of the experiences participants have described and depicted. Viewers have expressed how moved they have been by what they have seen and read.

We have also presented work at research institutions and academic conferences, including the American Sociological Association and the Criminal Justice Research Training Institute. We’ll be presenting at the National Hispanic Science Network’s conference in Miami in October and look forward to finding additional opportunities to collaborate with others interested in exploring how resilience and empowerment can help reduce stigma.

Below are some highlights from recent events.

Exhibition at NYU Langone—June 11, 2025

The RISE Lab hosted an exhibition at NYU Langone’s midtown office featuring two of our photovoice research projects: “The Day-to-Day of the Addict” and “Hope in the Sorrow, Pain, and Suffering.” We also displayed portraits and text created by participants in an art and storytelling group at VOCAL-NY’s drop-in center in Brooklyn. Nearly 100 people attended the exhibition, completing surveys before and after they viewed the work so we can assess the impact it had. We’re analyzing those results and look forward to sharing what we learn about innovative ways to reduce stigma.

Harlem Community Healthcare Fair—Sept. 13, 2024

We displayed vinyl banners and individual panels from our photovoice projects, “The Day-to-Day of the Addict” and “Hope in the Sorrow, Pain, and Suffering,” in Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem. The community healthcare fair was organized in partnership with OnPoint NYC, which operates overdose prevention centers within harm reduction organizations in Harlem and Washington Heights. Text from both projects was shown in English and Spanish, to reach multilingual visitors and project participants.