Gio Iacono PhD, LMSW, RSW
Discipline: Social Work and Mental Health
Dr. Gio Iacono is an Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut (UConn) School of Social Work and Director of the QT-RISE (Queer and Trans Resistance, Intervention, Solidarity & Equity) Research Lab. His research focuses on promoting the mental health and well-being of LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults through community-engaged intervention research, while also advancing equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive practice in social work education and practice.
Dr. Iacono is the developer of Tuned In!, an LGBTQIA+ affirmative mindfulness-based intervention co-created with sexual and gender diverse youth that has demonstrated sustained improvements in mental health and well-being through 12-month follow-up. His work integrates community-based participatory action research, intervention development and evaluation, qualitative and mixed methods research, and contemplative approaches to health and social justice.
Before entering academia, Dr. Iacono spent nearly two decades working as a psychotherapist, clinical social worker, educator, researcher, and community organizer in health and community-based settings. His scholarship has been published in leading journals across social work, mental health, LGBTQIA+ health, and community psychology. He is co-chair of the National LGBTQ Research Symposium and recipient of the Journal of Social Work Education Best Qualitative Article Award. His research on LGBTQIA+ youth mindfulness interventions has also been recognized among the most-cited publications in the American Journal of Community Psychology. At UConn, he is a Faculty Affiliate with the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP).
You can contact Gio at gio.iacono@uconn.edu
