College of Education and Human Development

Family Social Science

People

Michael Curtis

  • Pronouns: He/him/his

  • Assistant Professor

Dr. Curtis' research focuses on improving the mental health and service utilization of individuals from oppressed, and underserved communities to address the syndemic effects of intersectional stigma, traumatic stress, HIV, and mental health issues.

    DEGREES

    PhD, Human Development and Family Studies, University of Georgia
    MS, Marriage and Family Therapy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
    BA, Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

      AREAS OF INTEREST

      Mental Health Service Access and Utilization Among Black Boys and Young Men 
      Contextually Responsive Suicide Prevention and Care Among People Living With HIV 
      Traumatic Stress, Adversity, And Psychological Resilience Across the Lifespan 
      Quantitative Criticalism (Quantcrit) And Transformative Mixed-Methods Family Research 
      Digital Mental Health and Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions

        BIOGRAPHY

        Dr. Michael G. Curtis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota, where he directs a program of research on the mental health, relational health, and health equity of diverse heritage groups and under-resourced communities. His work examines how intersecting challenges to progress (e.g., inconsistent access to resources) shape biological, psychological, and interpersonal outcomes, and how culturally responsive interventions can address these outcomes.  

        Dr. Curtis brings a critical theoretical lens to this work. He is among a growing group of scholars advancing quantitative criticalism (QuantCrit) as a framework for transformative family science research, an approach that centers power, privilege, and structural inequality in the design and interpretation of quantitative studies. His methodological contributions appear in the Journal of Marriage and Family and Journal of Family Theory and Review, and his empirical work has been published in JAMA Pediatrics, Lancet HIV, Journal of Adolescent Health, Family Process, PLOS One, and other peer-reviewed outlets. He has been recognized with the 2025 NCFR Best New Professional Paper Award and the 2023 AAMFT Outstanding Research Publication Award. In addition to his research, 

        Dr. Curtis is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist trained in Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) and EMDR. His therapeutic approach integrates narrative therapy, strategic family therapy, and trauma-informed frameworks to support survivors of complex trauma, particularly Black Americans navigating the intersecting impacts of racial trauma, community violence, and interpersonal loss.  

        Dr. Curtis completed postdoctoral research fellowships at Emory University and Northwestern University before joining the University of Minnesota faculty. His work has been featured in Nature, Capital B News, and KARE 11. He serves as Associate Editor of Sexual and Relationship Therapy and on the editorial boards of the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy and Psychology of Men & Masculinity.

          PUBLICATIONS
          1. Quinn, K., Schmitt, M., Pearson, B., Curtis, M. G., & Kohlbeck, S. (2026). "Intersectional minority stress and suicidality among Black sexual and gender minority youth." AIDS and Behavior. Read the article. 
          2. Curtis, M. G., Boe, J., Hice, H., & Nakanishi, C. (2025). "Exploring the role of social worldviews in linking interpersonal discrimination to suicidal ideation among sexual minority young adults." Archives of Suicide Research. Read the article.
          3. Curtis, M. G., Mason, M., Boe, J., Floresca, Y. B. A., Davoudpour, S., Jayne, N. A., Beach, L., & Phillips II, G. (2025). "Bullying and depression serially mediate the association between perceived gender nonconformity and suicidality among US adolescents: A theory driven intersectional analysis." BMC Public Health. Read the article.
          4. Kogan, S. M., Reck, A. J., Curtis, M. G., & Oshri, A. (2024). "Childhood adversity and racial discrimination forecasts suicidal and death ideation among emerging adult Black men: A longitudinal analysis." Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. Read the article.
          5. Goldstein, M., Moore S., Mohamed, M., Byrd, R., Camacho-Gonzalez, A., Zanoni, B.C., Curtis, M. G., & Hussen, S. A. (2023) "A qualitative analysis examining intersectional stigma among young adults living with HIV in Atlanta, Georgia." PLOS One. Read the article.
            PRESENTATIONS

            See CV for complete list

            1. Curtis, M.G. & Nakanishi, C. (2025, Nov). The Interpersonal Web of Suicidal Ideation Risk: Examining Key Predictors Using Network Analysis. Invited presentation in the Relational Frameworks for Suicide Prevention and Intervention Symposium to be presented at the 2025 National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference (NCFR), Baltimore, Maryland.
            2. Curtis, M. G., Hice, H., & Nakanishi, C. (2025 April). Microaggressions, Negative Social Worldviews, and Symptoms of Depression across Three Age Cohorts of Sexual Minorities: A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis. Poster presented at Anxiety & Depression Association of America 2025 Annual Conference. 
            3. Hice, H., Curtis, M. G., & Nakanishi, C. (2025 May). Longitudinal Effects of Interpersonal Discrimination on LGB Emerging Adults’ Social Worldview and Suicidal Ideation. Poster to be presented at the Society for Research in Child Development 2025 Biennial Meeting.
            4. Hussen, S., Harper, G., Ryan W., Curtis, M. G., Doraivelu, K., & Newman, A. (2023, June). Predictors of Mental Health Service Utilization among Young Black Gay, Bisexual and other Men who have Sex with Men living with HIV. Poster presented at the 18th International Conference on HIV Treatment and Prevention Adherence, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
            5. Curtis, M. G., Wade, R., Goldstein, M., Newman, A., Doraivelu, K., Harper, G. W., & Hussen, S. A. (2023, Aug). Examining The Effects of Intersectional Health-Related Stigma on Substance Misuse Among Young Black Gay, Bisexual, And Other Men Who Have Sex with Men. Poster presented at the 2023 American Psychological Association annual conference, Washington, D.C.
            A professor.

            • I am accepting new graduate advisees for fall 2027 in the PhD and MA/PhD programs.

              I am accepting undergraduate research advisees for the Fall 2026 semester. Please fill out this application form to get started. 

            • curtism@umn.edu

            Recent News

            "More young adults are living with their parents, but why?" KARE-11

            "Kyren Lacy's death at 24 sheds light on Black Male Suicide Crisis," CapitalB News

            "FSOS welcomes two new faculty members," Family Social Science News