*The SHIFT lab is no longer accepting new members for the 2026-2027 academic year. If you are interested in joining the lab as an undergraduate or graduate research assistant in Fall 2027, please reach out via email!

Welcome to the SHIFT (Sexual Health Innovations for Teens) lab at North Carolina A&T State University! Our research team, led by Dr. Hannah Javidi, uses digital and community-engaged approaches to understand and improve sexual health, primarily among adolescents. Our goals center on:

1. Understanding adolescents’ beliefs, behaviors, and experiences related to sex, sexuality, and sexual health.

2. Applying research findings to promote positive sexual communication, consent, and boundary-setting skills among youth.

3. Leveraging technology (e.g., apps, websites, social media) to share sexual health information in accessible, youth-friendly formats.

4. Advancing sex education to be more evidence-based, inclusive, engaging, and relevant - particularly for youth underserved by traditional sex education, such as Black, rural, and LGBTQ+ teenagers and college-aged youth.

5. Involving community members in the solutions to their own sexual health- and education-related issues.

6. Finding accessible ways to share our research findings and products with the public!

Current PhD Student(s)

Deneen Wolfe, MS

Deneen entered the Applied Psychology PhD program at A&T (concentration: Social/Community) in Fall 2026. Prior to professional schooling, Deneen served as a U.S. Navy sailor where she volunteered as a sexual assault victim advocate to her fellow service members. While aiding survivors, Deneen gained insight into the sexual violence faced by military members and their family members which ignited her passion for sexual violence prevention and advocacy. After her discharge from the Navy, she completed a Master’s degree in Health Psychology where she analyzed the psychological health outcomes of neurodivergent students in post-secondary education. Deneen currently splits her time between graduate coursework and volunteering at CrossRoads Sexual Assault Response as a community outreach volunteer. In this role, Deneen spreads awareness about sexual assault and human trafficking by assisting with educational workshops at local first responder organizations, public schools, and community events.

Research interests: sexual violence & intimate partner violence  prevention, intersectional marginalization of Black female sexual assault victims, sexual health awareness for boys/men

Undergraduate Research Assistants

  • Kennedy Saulter

    Kennedy is a a senior Psychology student from Chicago, Illinois. She is dedicated to conducting research that improves the quality of life of marginalized groups. She hopes to serve her community as an advocate and voice to people who are left behind in our justice system, and believes that understanding all sides of minority issues will help her have a successful career as an advocate.  

  • Kennedy Boazman

    Kennedy is a senior Biology student from Atlanta, Georgia. She is interested in community-engaged research on sexual and reproductive health, maternal health, health equity, and public health policy. She plans to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant specializing in women's health while continuing to work at the intersection of clinical care, research, and health policy to expand access to quality healthcare.

  • Leah Charles

    Leah is a junior Psychology student from Brooklyn, NY, and the President of the Psychology Research Club. She is interested in how sex education and parent-child sex communication differs between different cultures within the African diaspora. Her career goal is to become a Family & Marriage therapist in the state of New York. 

  • Imani Richardson-Green

    Imani is a junior Psychology major who is deeply interested in research focused on children and youth, especially those who come from disadvantaged or unstable backgrounds. She aims to explore how early childhood adversity shapes their development, well-being, and opportunities throughout their lives.

  • Hannah Houston

    Hannah is a junior Psychology major, with a minor in Biology, from Atlanta, Georgia. Her research interests include public health, health disparities, and health psychology. After earning her bachelor’s degree, Hannah plans to pursue a Master of Public Health (MPH) before attending medical school, with the goal of becoming a psychiatrist.

  • Lynsastkia Noel

    Lynsastkia is a junior transfer Psychology student originally from Haiti who grew up in Boston, MA. She is deeply committed to providing equitable access to mental health resources in marginalized communities. Lynsastkia strives to be a voice for these communities, working to break the stigma surrounding mental health and to foster open conversations and access to care. She believes that investing in youth can change the trajectory of issues that have long gone unaddressed, creating a more welcoming space for future generations.

PACT adaptation

The SHIFT lab is working to adapt the Promoting Affirmative Consent among Teens (PACT) digital education program to serve as sexual consent and assertiveness training specifically for Black 18-19 year old students at A&T, through a series of focus groups and cyclical revisions to current program content. The final product will be made accessible to all A&T students once evidence of feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness is obtained.

Current Projects

Sex Education and Experiences Study

We are launching a survey through the SONA system to understand A&T (Psychology and non-Psychology) students’ needs and past experiences regarding sexual communication and consent education. This survey also contains items on sexual consent beliefs, self-efficacy, and practices. We will investigate sources of education (e.g., home, school, friends) as well as whether students’ sexual consent cognitions, behaviors, and education differ based on personal characteristics (e.g., gender, cultural upbringing).

Interviews

The Spring 2026 cohort of SHIFT lab members entered with lots of enthusiasm to explore their own research questions of interest. As of February, they are finalizing IRB protocols to start conducting interviews with students at A&T to learn about their public sex education, sexual consent beliefs, relationships, mental health, and experiences in the foster care system. Please see the section below for photos of these posters presented at the 2026 Undergraduate Research & Creativity Symposium.

Student Wellness Day, Spring 2026

Undergraduate Research & Creativity Symposium, Spring 2026

Presentations and Events

Poster presentations at internal (A&T) conferences and symposia

Organizing events on campus (e.g., wellness day partnerships)

Social media (@understanding_consent and @shift_ncat on instagram!)

Submission to peer-reviewed academic journals

How do we
disseminate
our research?

Discussions and elevator pitches at campus events and club meetings (e.g., Psychology Research Club)

Poster presentations at external conferences (professional societies and organizations)

Former lab members, who are very missed!

  • Sydni Madden

    Sydni graduated in Spring 2026 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a minor in Child Development and Family Studies. She is now pursuing a Master’s degree in School Psychology at Georgia State University, with her ultimate career goals centering on refining sex education curricula to incorporate various different learning styles and be inclusive of all students regardless of cultural background.

  • Shaniah Pope

    Shaniah graduated in Spring 2026 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology. In the SHIFT lab, she was interested in research supporting the mental health and wellbeing of Black teens and college students, especially through culturally relevant education. She is currently applying to graduate programs to continue her education and research.