Research Symposium

BIO

My name is Anthony Hernandez, and am a first-year student at Florida State University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology as part of the FSU Honors Program (Class of 2029). Anthony is deeply interested in the scientific foundations of human health, movement, and performance, particularly how physiological principles can be applied to improve wellness and functional outcomes.
As an Honors student, Anthony is eager to engage in undergraduate research that emphasizes hands-on learning, data-driven inquiry, and collaboration with faculty mentors. Anthony is especially interested in research related to exercise science, rehabilitation, and human performance, and hopes to develop strong analytical, laboratory, and critical thinking skills through participation in UROP.
Through this program, Anthony aims to gain meaningful research experience that will prepare Anthony for advanced study and professional training in a health-related or clinical science field. Ultimately, Anthony plans to pursue graduate education or a career that integrates research, evidence-based practice, and service in the health sciences.

Mapping Neighborhood-Level Stigma: A Scoping Review of Geospatial Approaches and Influences on Health

Abstract

Stigma is a well-documented determinant of adverse health outcomes across diverse identities and lived experiences, including race, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, substance use, HIV status, and disability. While most stigma research focuses on individual-level experiences, less is known about stigma as a structural or contextual feature of neighborhoods and other localized geographic units. This project systematically reviews the literature on geospatial stigma, with emphasis on neighborhood-level units of analysis. Using Covidence, a comprehensive search yielded n=3,804 abstracts for screening. Each abstract was independently reviewed by two researchers using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, with disagreements resolved by a third reviewer. Eligible studies were published in English, involved original peer-reviewed research with data collection or analysis, explicitly addressed geospatial stigma or a related construct, and used a neighborhood-level (or equivalent) geospatial unit. Studies were excluded if they were non-English, lacked original data, did not address stigma, or focused on broader geographic levels (e.g., state or country). Preliminary screening identified n=237 (6.2%) full texts for review, of which 137 (57.8%) are quantitative; n=44 (18.6%) have been included in the dataset and n=130 (55.9%) remain under review. Early observations indicate that neighborhood-level stigma is commonly operationalized through concentrated disadvantage, racialized spatial segregation, crime labeling, environmental neglect, and community attitudes toward marginalized populations. Neighborhoods are often symbolically associated with deviance or disorder, contributing to disinvestment and reduced healthcare access. Upon completion, this review will synthesize evidence on neighborhood-level stigma and identify gaps, advancing understanding of geospatial stigma as a structural determinant of health.

Keywords: Geospatial stigma, Neighborhood-level determinants of health, Structural stigma, Spatial inequality, Health disparities