Grant: Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA)

The project examines how racial anxiety is conceptualized across health and social science scholarship and how it shapes patient-provider interactions. Racial anxiety refers to dynamics in racialized interactions where discrimination or bias is anticipated. In healthcare settings, racial anxiety may influence communication, trust, and clinical decision-making, potentially contributing to inequitable health experiences among racialized populations. The focus of Gordane's work will be a critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) examining how racial anxiety is defined and operationalized within healthcare contexts. Under the supervision of Dr. A.M. Viens, she will receive structured training in literature search strategy development, evidence synthesis methods, and conceptual analysis. Through regular mentorship meetings, she will receive guidance on refining search strategies, developing screening criteria, and conducting iterative coding and thematic comparison. These activities will provide training in literature synthesis and research methods commonly used in population health and social science scholarship. Based on her contribution to the CIS, Gordane will also have the opportunity to contribute as co-author on resulting scholarly publications. The findings from the CIS will inform the design of a qualitative component of a larger research project examining racial dynamics in healthcare settings. As part of her training, Gordane will also assist in developing a research ethics protocol for this qualitative phase, which will involve community engagement activities such as facilitated dialogues with community members. She will gain experience in qualitative research design, ethical research practices, and community-engaged scholarship supporting culturally responsive care.