Krista L. R. Cezair
ResearcherLawyer
AdvocateUnited States
Krista L. R. Cezair is an American researcher and advocate whose work has focused on inequities in mental health, particularly among marginalized communities. She studied law and public health at Harvard and has contributed to public-health research on disparities affecting transgender students. [2][3]
Career and work
Cezair studied law and public health through Harvard's joint JD/MPH program, with interests in health policy and population mental health. Her work has focused on disparities in mental-health care affecting Black people, women of color, youth of color and LGBTQ+ communities of color. [2][1]
She has worked with organizations including Mental Health America, the American Psychological Association and Georgetown University's O'Neill Institute. In 2024, she co-authored a CDC study examining disparities in mental health, violence, housing instability and school connectedness among transgender and cisgender high-school students. [2][3]
What has been publicly discussed
Sources and other resourcesExpand to view the sources used in this profile and resources to learn more.
Sources used for this profile
The following sources contain information that supports the claims made on this page.
Ms. Magazine“From a Psych Hospital to Harvard Law: One Black Woman's Journey With Bipolar Disorder” Cezair's first-person essay covering bipolar I disorder, earlier bipolar II diagnosis, depression, suicidality, mania, psychosis, hospitalization, work disruption and recovery.
Krista Cezair — O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law Professional biography covering her education, work and research interests in mental-health disparities.
CDC / MMWR“Disparities in School Connectedness, Unstable Housing, Experiences of Violence, Mental Health, and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Transgender and Cisgender High School Students” Research article listing Cezair as a co-author.
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Ms. Magazine / United Bodies“The Criminalization of Mental Illness” Interview in which Cezair discusses encounters with police during manic episodes and the intersection of race, serious mental illness and criminalization.
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Recommended books and other resources about Krista L. R. Cezair and their experiences.
- PRISM: Mental Health Through the Lens of Difference — HPHR Journal / Boston Congress of Public Health
An anthology edited by Cezair examining mental health through race, gender, sexuality, age, migration and socioeconomic status.
- “How New Anxiety Screening Guidelines Can Reduce Inequities in Mental Health Care for Black Women”Petrie-Flom Center, Harvard Law School
Cezair discusses mental-health screening and racial inequities in access to care.