Project QueST: An Interview with Dr. Jillian Scheer
- Derek Sherlock
- 15 hours ago
- 4 min read
Like so many of our tremendous readers, I live with and battle with my own personal traumas every day. It can feel like falling into the endless abyss, reliving past moments that caused me to experience fight or flight. Even with the help of a mental health professional, it can feel possible to climb out. This is where a new study group, Project QueST, is stepping in. Head by University of Rhode Island’s Assistant Professor Dr. Jillian Scheer, it hopes to deliver assistance to those in LGBTQIA+ community suffering the long-term effects of trauma. In particular, on the trauma experienced by sexual and gender minority women (SMW) and transgender and/or gender-diverse (TGD) people, exploring better ways of improving patients’ recovery process. The importance of this development cannot be understated. Countless clinical studies that exploring the topic of trauma—whether that be the root cause or how mental health professionals can better address and treat trauma—frequently focus on those identifying as cisgender or heterosexual, leaving out the unique experiences of SMWs and TGD individuals.
The Project QueST team includes Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Syracuse University, Dr. Michelle J. Zaso, Dr. Cory J. Cascalheira of Seattle’s VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Assistant Professor of Public Health at Yale School of Public Health, Dr. Skyler D. Jackson, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and General Internal Medicine at Boston University’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and an Affiliated Investigator at The Fenway Institute, Dr. Abigail W. Batchelder, and professor of Psychiatry in the Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Tami P. Sullivan.
Options was able to communicate via email with Dr. Scheer regarding the work she and her team conducted from May 2021 through 2022, when participants of this study completed the baseline survey, and a subset of participants completed the 14-day daily diary portion of the study.
Options: How would you describe the work of Project QueST: Queer Survivors of Trauma?
Dr. Jillian Scheer: Project QueST is a collection of studies conducted by my lab focused on understanding how trauma affects LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly how experiences like discrimination, identity-related stress, and violence interact to shape mental health outcomes such as PTSD, substance use, and physical health symptoms like pain. Our goal is to move beyond looking at trauma in isolation and instead understand how multiple stressors, especially those tied to identity, combine to influence risk and resilience.
Options: What was the main driving force behind this research? What made you and the team want to tackle such a topic?
Dr. Scheer: A major driving force was recognizing that LGBTQ+ individuals experience disproportionately high rates of trauma, but our clinical models and treatments often don’t reflect their lived experiences. In both research and clinical work, I saw that identity-related stress, like discrimination or stigma, was not just an added burden, but something that actively shaped how trauma was experienced and how people coped. That gap between lived experience and how we study and treat trauma really motivated this work.
Options: For someone who might be new to study-based research, why should this research be considered important?
Dr. Scheer: This research is important because it helps explain why some people experience more severe or persistent mental health challenges after trauma. By identifying the underlying processes—like stress, coping, and access to support—we can develop better, more effective treatments. It also highlights that health disparities are not random; they are shaped by social and structural factors, which means they are preventable.
Options: How would you summarize your research for those who might not understand?
Dr. Scheer: In simple terms, our research shows that trauma doesn’t happen in a vacuum. For LGBTQ+ individuals, experiences like discrimination or feeling unsafe because of who you are can make the effects of trauma worse. We’re trying to understand those combined effects so we can improve how we support people in recovery.
Options: Does this research study have any connections to either a previous study you facilitated or with a colleague?
Dr. Scheer: Yes, this work builds on a broader program of research examining trauma, substance use, and health among sexual and gender minority populations. It is also highly collaborative, involving colleagues with expertise in trauma, minority stress, and health disparities. Many of the questions we’re asking now come directly from earlier studies showing that these stressors don’t just add up, they interact in complex ways.
Options: What do you hope will be the outcome of your research being published? How helpful do you feel this research will be when it comes to either treating or diagnosing Queer survivors who have faced varying forms of trauma?
Dr. Scheer: I hope this research helps shift both science and clinical practice toward more inclusive, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive care. Clinically, it highlights the need to assess not just trauma history, but also identity-related stress and access to affirming support. In terms of treatment, it supports approaches that address both trauma and the broader social context in which it occurs. Ultimately, I hope it leads to better care and better outcomes for LGBTQ+ people with lived experience of trauma.
Options: Are there any changes you wish you could have made with the research differently if you had to redo it?
Dr. Scheer: As with any study, there are always opportunities to build on the work. I would love to see more longitudinal and real-time data such as daily experiences of stress, social support, and coping to better understand how these processes unfold over time. I’d also want to continue expanding representation across diverse LGBTQ+ communities, particularly those who are often underrepresented in research.
Options: With the research concluding, what happens next for either Project QueST or for yourself?
Dr. Scheer: This study is really a starting point rather than an endpoint. Next steps include developing and testing interventions that are specifically designed for LGBTQ+ people, particularly those that address both trauma and ongoing stress. We’re also continuing to expand this work into areas like chronic pain, substance use, and real-time monitoring of stress and coping, with the goal of creating more personalized and responsive treatments.
If you would like to read the study, you can find it at:
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