Dr. Valerie Earnshaw Named Editor of Stigma and Health Journal

Dr. Valerie Earnshaw has been appointed incoming editor of Stigma and Health, a leading scientific journal published by the American Psychological Association (APA) that focuses on the intersection of stigma and health. A social psychologist and professor at the University of Delaware, Dr. Earnshaw is nationally recognized for her research on stigma and chronic illness. She also serves on the Addiction Policy Forum’s Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Earnshaw’s interdisciplinary work blends theory and practice, drawing from public health, psychology, and sociology to design community-centered interventions and advance stigma research. A longtime contributor and guest editor at Stigma and Health, Dr. Earnshaw now steps into the role following the inaugural editor, Dr. Patrick Corrigan. 

In an interview with APA, Dr. Earnshaw shared, “Research on structural stigma, including the ways in which stigma is manifested within policies, cultural norms, and societal conditions, will be critically important in the coming years. We will continue to prioritize rigorous scholarship that aims to understand the outcomes of, protect people from, and change structural stigma.” 

With this appointment, Dr. Earnshaw brings leadership that will help uphold scientific integrity while expanding the journal’s reach through editorials, special issues, and articles focused on advancing innovative methods. Her vision ensures Stigma and Health remains a vital platform for advancing equity and improving outcomes for stigmatized populations.

Dr. Earnshaw’s collaboration with the Addiction Policy Forum has been instrumental in advancing our mission to reduce stigma. Her research has directly impacted the development and evaluation of our community-based interventions, such as enCompass, which has demonstrated significant reductions in stigma and improvements in addiction literacy among participants. 

Read more about Dr. Earnshaw and her work here.