Lexi Karas, MA, is a first year doctoral student in the Health Psychology and Clinical Science (HPCS) Program. She received her B.A. in English and Psychology from Vassar College and her M.A. in Psychology from the New School for Social Research. While at the New School, she was a member of the Gender and Health Lab, researching decision making and stigma related to infertility and IVF. She has also worked as a study coordinator at Albert Einstein College of Medicine where she facilitated research examining sexual health behavior, substance use, and community-based health interventions. Her research interests include psychosocial adjustment to chronic illness across the lifespan, dyadic coping, and the relationship between chronic illness and identity.