Research Interests
Dr. Ryan Wade is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work. Professor Wade's work includes a broad focus on social determinants of health, structural and community-level racism, the racial patterning of sexual/social networks within LGBTQ communities, and health disparities among gay/bisexual men. He is particularly interested in identifying social and structural factors that contribute to poor mental and sexual health outcomes among young gay/bisexual men of color. Professor Wade grounds much of his research in minority stress theory, intersectionality, and ecological systems theory.
At present, Professor Wade is investigating a phenomenon known as Racialized Sexual Discrimination (RSD), as experienced by gay/bisexual men of color on mobile apps and websites used for dating and sexual networking. He is using mixed methods to develop, validate, and refine a multidimensional scale of RSD. He is also using quantitative methods to examine the association between RSD sub-scales and indicators of psychological wellbeing.
Education
Health Behavior and Health Education, PhD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Social Work, MSW, University of Michigan School of Social Work
Psychology, BA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Additional Campus Affiliations
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work
Assistant Professor, Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity
Recent Publications
Hussen, S. A., Wade, R. M., Newman, A., Alohan, D. I., & Harper, G. W. (2024). CONCEPTUALIZATIONS OF MENTAL HEALTH AMONG YOUNG BLACK GAY, BISEXUAL, AND OTHER MEN (YB-GBMSM) WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN WHO ARE LIVING WITH HIV. AIDS Education and Prevention, 36(6), 387-402. https://doi.org/10.1521/aeap.2024.36.6.387
Wade, R. M., & Nguyễn, D. M. (2024). Does Subjective Racial Attraction Vary by Sexual Position? An Analysis of Young Sexual Minority Black Men. Sexuality and Culture, 28(4), 1775-1791. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10205-3
Wade, R. M., & Piasecki, M. (Accepted/In press). Whose Role is It Anyway? Sexual Racism and Sexual Positioning Among Young Sexual Minority Black Men. Journal of Sex Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2024.2305823
Hong, J. S., Wade, R. M., Kim, J., Espelage, D. L., Washington, T., & Voisin, D. R. (2023). Future Orientation as a Moderator of Bullying Victimization and School Outcomes: Comparing Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Urban African American Adolescents. Education and Urban Society, 55(8), 899-921. https://doi.org/10.1177/00131245221106722
Hong, J. S., Choi, M. J., Wade, R. M., O’Donnell, L. A., & Johns, S. (2023). Racial/ethnic differences in parenting behaviors as protective factors in adolescent internalizing problems. Journal of General Psychology, 150(4), 467-484. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221309.2022.2152414