The NYU Queering and Elevating Empirical Research (QUEER) data lab aims to improve data collection and statistical analysis as it pertains to improving the lives of the LGBTQIA+ community. PI Daphna Harel (she/her) works with research assistants from the Applied Statistics for Social Science Research Masters program to investigate issues pertaining to queerness and statistics.
The lab was formed in the Fall of 2022 and consists of Masters students and recent alums of the program. Recent projects include:
- Satisfaction Among LGBTQIA+ Individuals with Gender,Sex, and Sexuality Survey Questions. We have conducted a randomized experiment among queer individuals in the US that investigates different ways to phrase demographic questions that measure sex, gender identity, sexual identity, and gender expression used in survey research and the implications of using poorly worded questions. The paper has been published in the Journal of Homosexuality. It has also been presented at AAPOR 2024 and LGBTQ+ Health Conference 2024 and in invited sessions at ICHPS 2025, and ENAR 2025.
- Causal effects of a content moderation policy on the incidence of LGBTQIA+ directed hate speech. This work has recently received an intramural grant from NYU Steinhardt and will be presented in invited sessions at ICHPS 2025, and ENAR 2025
- In collaboration with the NYU BITS lab, PI Harel is currently working on Improving the Accessibility of Transgender Voice Training with Visual-Acoustic Biofeedback. This work has been funded by an NIH R21 as well as several internal grants from NYU and NYU Steinhardt. The team has recently published an article “Word and Gender Identification in the Speech of Transgender Individuals” in the Journal of Voice.
- Alongside Dr. Nnenaya Mmonu, PI Harel has been analyzing large scale datasets to better understand the implications of obtaining genital gender-affirming surgery, including the incidence of complications observed in California and the impact of medicaid expansion in New York State.
Prospective or current students should reach out to Professor Harel for more information and to get involved with the lab.