Cindy Huang
Biography
Dr. Huang is an Associate Professor in Counseling Psychology and Human Services. Prior to joining the University of Oregon faculty, she was an Assistant Professor in Counseling Psychology at Columbia University, Teachers College. Dr. Huang received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the UO and completed her clinical internship in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Huang remained at Yale for a NIDA-funded T32 postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of Prevention and Community Research, followed by a fellowship in cultural psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Davis.
Dr. Huang's research focuses on understanding the cultural factors associated with child development and preventing psychopathology for racial/ethnic minority and immigrant youth, with a particular emphasis on Asian immigrant youth. Dr. Huang's research specifically examines how cultural factors in parenting may exacerbate or mitigate risk for mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, and suicidality. She translates this research into culturally informed, evidence-based interventions for racial/ethnic minority and immigrant youth and their families.
For more information on Dr. Huang's research, research team, and current projects, visit www.champlab.org.
Dr. Huang will be accepting new PhD students in Counseling Psychology but will not be accepting new PhD students in Prevention Science for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Education
PhD, Counseling Psychology, University of Oregon
MA, Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University
BA, Psychology, San Diego State University
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine (Predoctoral Internship)
Division of Prevention and Community Research, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Asian American Center on Disparities Research, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Honors and Awards
NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Reducing Suicide Risk among Asian American Youth in NYC (2023-Present)
NICHD, Impact of Discrimination on Maternal Mental Health Outcomes and Development during the COVID-19 Pandemic (2022-2023)
NYU Institute of Human Development and Social Change Seed Award Recipient (2021)
NIMH Child Intervention, Prevention, and Services (CHIPS) Fellowship (2015)
UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center Pilot Grant Recipient (2014-2015)
NIMHD Health Disparities Loan Repayment Grant Recipient (2013-2015)
Yale University School of Medicine, Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy Fellowship (2011-2014)
Publications
Huang, C. Y., & Tsai, W. (2022). Asian American parents’ experiences of stress, discrimination, and mental health during COVID-19. Families, Systems, & Health, 41, 68-77. https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000715. PMID: 35588384
Fanta, A., Kodama, K., Kim, S. E., Tsai, W., & Huang, C. Y. (2023). Coping, racial discrimination, and psychological distress among Asian American parents. The Counseling Psychologist, 1-30. doi: 10.1177/00110000231191754
Huang, C. Y., Zane, N.W., Hunter, L., Vang, L., Joseph, J., & Apeosa-Varano, E. C. (2023). The effects of a cultural movement intervention on promoting health and mental health problems in immigrant populations. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. doi: 10.1037/cdp0000591
Huang, C. Y., Hunt, E., & Stormshak, E. A. (2023). Differential Impact of the School Context on Ethnic and Racial Identity and Depression for Monoracial and Multiracial Early Adolescents. Frontiers in Psychiatry: Section on Adolescent and Young Adult Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1080085. PMID: 38045617
Huang, C. J. & Huang, C. Y. (2024). The moderating role of emotion regulation strategies on Asian American parents’ discrimination experiences and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 94, 190-201. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000714 Kim, S. E., Fanta, A., Huang, C. Y., & Tsai, W. (2024). Cultural orientation, racial-ethnic socialization, and youth adjustment outcomes: Test of a path model with Asian American parents. Journal of Family Issues. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X241236542 For a list of Dr. Huang's publications, visit https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/cindy.huang.1/bibliography/public/
Research
Dr. Huang's research focuses on racial/ethnic minority and immigrant youth and the risk and protective factors that influence their development and psychopathology. Her work is conducted through an ecological framework, and is focused on understanding how the various ecological influences, such as parents/caregivers and schools, impact development and psychopathology of youth. Specifically, cultural factors at the parenting level (such as parent immigration status, parenting behaviors/practices, beliefs) are an area of focus. Dr. Huang's research also examines the mental health disparities experienced by racial/ethnic minority and immigrant youth, particularly in treatment engagement and utilization.
Currently, Dr. Huang is the primary investigator of a multi-year project to adapt the Family Check-Up (FCU) for suicide prevention with Asian American adolescents. Funded by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, this project uses a community-based, mixed methods participatory approach to intervention adaptation and implementation.