Emily Lemon

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About

Dr. Lemon's research focuses on youth mental health prevention, with a particular emphasis on depression, suicide, and trauma among adolescents in communities with high need and limited access to care. Dr. Lemon investigates isolation and connectedness (with peers, family, community) as mechanisms of risk and resilience with adverse contexts, and the role of community-based prevention strategies. Her work tests peer-delivered and community health worker (CHW) models as scalable approaches to mental health promotion in community settings. Methodologically, Dr. Lemon uses mixed methods, implementation science frameworks, and advanced qualitative approaches, with expertise in participatory methods (e.g., photovoice). They also integrate youth voice in study design and translation through Youth Action Boards. Dr. Lemon’s current research though her Siembra Lab includes a new statewide study to advance workforce capacity for community-based youth mental health promotion in Texas with CHWs. They also teach qualitative research methods and advance qualitative analysis and mentor graduate students in community-engaged mental health research, adolescent health, and immigrant health topics.

Center Affiliation

• Center for Health Equity
• Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research

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Research Interests

• Adolescent Health
• Border Health
• Community Health
• Maternal and Child Health
• Mental Health
• Social Determinants of Health