Professor Silvia Bigatti, Ph.D., is a professor in the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health. Dr. Bigatti’s current research portfolio centers on health disparities. She examines the distinct psychological stress experienced by different populations and its negative physical and mental health outcomes. In studies focused on investigating health disparities in Indianapolis communities, she uses a Community Based Participatory Research framework. Her intervention research has focused on psychosocial interventions for fibromyalgia syndrome, advanced cancer, and adolescent resiliency training. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her family and pets.
Meet Silvia Bigatti
Research Photos
Q and A with Professor Bigatti
I’ve always been interested in people, how they think, feel, behave. In graduate school my focus was on all of this among people with chronic health conditions, a significant stressor that impacts their world long term.
I try to help people experience less stress/distress and more wellbeing, which includes satisfaction with life and self, happiness, successful relationships.
The interventions I and my partners implement improve wellbeing among participants. These interventions have been disseminated broadly and are being adapted by others here and in other countries.
I enjoy the entire process of research, from the inception of the study, which involves creative, higher order thinking to the analysis of data and dissemination of results. Engaging with the community is very rewarding; I get to meet a lot of people and get to see my work having an immediate positive impact.
I involve students at all levels, in the lab and in the community.
I work with community partners who are intimately involved with community members, and often we go to individuals in the community to seek expertise, ideas, and solutions.
Next steps are to continue to broaden our reach in terms of population and geography, and in terms of expanding our programming with more diverse offerings.
Conversation with Professor Bigatti
On Friday, September 24, 2021 from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. Professor Bigatti gave a virtual presentation about her work on “A Community-Engaged and Strengths-Based Approach to Fostering Wellbeing in Latinx Communities." In this presentation, she described her approach to community-based resarch. This approach allows her to learn from the community about its culture, strengths, assets, and how these can all be used to foster wellbeing. She shared data from her studies, and described interventions with the community that were based on this approach.
Interested in Becoming an IU Indianapolis TRIP Scholar?
Eligibility
IU Indianapolis faculty member conducting translational community-based research
Benefits
- Valued member of an extensive network of researchers/collaborators
- Opportunities to showcase work
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