PROFILE

Lisa Kiang, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at Wake Forest University. Her research is in self and identity, family and social relationships, and culture. Major themes include: (1) Relational approaches to self and identity: She is interested in how self-evaluations and social identifications vary across relationships (e.g., parents, same-ethnic peers, different-ethnic peers) and ultimately influence adjustment. She also examines how ethnic identity operates within the specific social context of the family. (2) Protective influences in development: With a focus on youth from ethnic minority backgrounds, she is interested in uncovering ways to promote healthy well-being and more adaptive social relationships. Does cultural background or ethnic identification have a protective role in development? What are the precise mechanisms by which these positive effects occur (e.g., through a deeper sense of social belonging or purpose in life)? In upcoming work, she plans to integrate biological, social, and cultural factors into an interdisciplinary framework to better understand how multiple processes interact in development.