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Meet our Panelists!

Cindy Veldhuis, PhD (she/her)

Hi, I'm Cindy Veldhuis, and I am the principal investigator for the SOQIR study. I have a Bachelors in Theatre and Psychology as well as a Masters in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Oregon, and a PhD in psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. I did my postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University and am now an assistant professor at Northwestern University. My area of research is LGBTQ intimate relationships. I am also interested in the effects of sociopolitical impacts on LGBTQ individuals (like the 2016 election and the current anti-LGBT bills). Outside of work, I love the theatre, making stuff (printmaking, ceramics, etc), and watching way too many DIY and interior design videos on YouTube.

Bria White, MS, NCC (she/her)

Hi, I’m Bria! I am a Licensed Professional Counselor based in Chicago and I work at the Oak Park practice Indigo Therapy Group. I became motivated to be a therapist after experiencing my own struggles with anxiety, self-image, racism, and navigating bisexuality. I describe myself as a “hiking guide” for clients to explore the different routes they can take in their lives. I believe personal identity exploration, accountability, and processing attachment patterns are the hallmarks of transformative change which can help entire communities. I work with late teenagers, emerging adults, and adults of all backgrounds, but I love seeing queer and neurodivergent people of color find what empowers them in the face of oppressive systems. I also enjoy painting, going for walks, and making people laugh in and outside of sessions.

Read more about Bria and her practice here.

Ricky Hill, PhD (they/them)

Hi, I’m Ricky and I am a Research Assistant Professor in the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing at Northwestern University. My research focuses on the sexual and relational health and wellness of transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people with a special focus on transmasculine identities. I specialize in qualitative methodologies that involve collecting and analyzing non-numerical data to understand concepts, opinions or experiences, using the knowledge gained to improve the lives of queer people and communities. Outside of work, I enjoy gardening, going to WNBA games, and trying limited edition flavored snacks and ranking them using a wholly unscientific system.

Leiszle Lapping-Carr, PhD (she/her)

Hi, I’m Leiszle, a clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor at Northwestern University. I am a queer, married, non-monogamous, White, cisgender woman with two kids and one cat. My professional life focuses on improving sexual, relationship, and mental health for LGBTQ+ folx through clinical work, education, and research, especially for people who are trying to or recently had babies. I love reading fantasy and historical fiction, cooking, crafting, camping, and doing jigsaw puzzles.

Hayat Nadar, PsyD (she/they)

Hi! I’m Dr. Hayat Nadar and I am a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of The Depth Collective PLLC, an affirming anti-racist psychotherapy practice centering the experiences of individuals who hold one or more minoritized intersectional identities. I am an award-winning scholar and the recipient of the National Louis University Outstanding Dissertation Award in Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Specifically, my research focuses on the Arab-American Migrant experience. Before starting my group practice, I held the position of Staff Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor, and Director of DEI at a Chicago-based Psychotherapy Center. I am an adjunct professor in Psychoanalysis at the Doctoral Clinical Psychology program at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology–National Louis University. I am a very dynamic educator, providing education for clinical training programs. I hold a doctorate in clinical psychology from The Illinois School of Professional Psychology at National Louis University. I am passionate about helping stigmatized communities navigate systemic oppression. I specialize in working with marginalized populations, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, gender expansive, neurodivergent, gifted folx, and the diaspora as well as individuals with stigmatized sexual identities and interests, including consensual non-monogamy (CNM) and Kink.

In my free time I love to paint, write, and play music, as well as spend as much time as possible in the mountains.

Read more about Hayat and their practice here.

Sarah Abboud, PhD, RN (she/her)

Hi, I’m Dr. Sarah Abboud and I am an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois College of Nursing. I am one of few Arab scholars to explore sexual health at the intersections of immigration, gender, sexual orientation, and ethnic identity in this population. My program of research is grounded in social justice and health equity frameworks and has two interrelated tracks: first, sexual health promotion and sexual violence prevention among Arab immigrants; and second, sexual and mental health among sexual minority Arab immigrants. Alongside my research, my advocacy work centers on the (in)visibility of Arab/Middle Eastern & North African (MENA)/South West Asian & North African (SWANA) identity and calls for the inclusion of a separate racial/ethnic identity category on the U.S. census reporting.

I completed my BS and MS in Nursing at the American University of Beirut School of Nursing, Lebanon, and my PhD and post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.

Outside of work, I love working out and running, playing with my dog Vin, and spending quality time with my partner and friends.