Gu Li

Gu Li is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at NYU Shanghai and a Global Network Assistant Professor in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at NYU. He is also a faculty affiliate in the Social Development Group and the Center for Global Health Equity at NYU Shanghai. Prior to joining NYU Shanghai, Gu was a CIHR Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychology and the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

Gu’s Diversity Science Lab uses surveys, psychological experiments, psychological interventions, and longitudinal data analysis to study the development and mental health of LGBTQ+ people in diverse sociocultural contexts. His research interests include (1) designing psychological interventions to address critical issues facing LGBTQ+ individuals, such as coming out and coping with stigma, prejudice, and victimization; (2) examining how sexual orientation develops during puberty; and (3) exploring the associations between romantic love and sexual desire in young people. Gu’s research has been published in leading academic journals, including the Journal of Adolescent Health, Developmental Psychology, Internet Interventions, and Archives of Sexual Behavior. For a complete list of publications, please visit his Google Scholar profile.

Gu serves on the editorial boards of the Archives of Sexual Behavior and the Journal of Youth and Adolescence. He is also an ad hoc reviewer for over 20 academic journals, including Psychological Science, Clinical Psychological Science, Child Development, Developmental Psychology, and Educational Researcher, and reviews grants for the American Psychological Foundation.

Select Publications

• Li, G., Archer Lee, Y., Lin, X., Krampitz, E., Atilla, G.*, Nguyen, K. C.*, Rosen, H. R.*, Tham, C. Z. E.*, & Chen, F. S. (2023). Self-affirmation reduces internalized heterosexism in sexual minority people. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000650 (*equal contribution)
• Li, G.*, Sham, W. W. L.*, & Wong, I. W. (2023). Are romantic orientation and sexual orientation different? Comparisons using explicit and implicit measures. Current Psychology, 42, 24288–24301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03380-9 (*equal contribution)
• Ying, Y., Santtila, P., & Li, G. (2023). Predictors of attitudes towards having a lesbian, gay, and bisexual child among Chinese adults. Family Process, 62(4), 1709–1724. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12842
• Li, G., Archer Lee, Y., Krampitz, E., Lin, X., Atilla, G.*, Nguyen, K. C.*, Rosen, H. R.*, Tham, C. Z. E.*, & Chen, F. S. (2022). Computer passwords as a timely booster for writing-based psychological interventions. Internet Interventions, 30, Article 100572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2022.100572 (*equal contribution)
• Li, G., & Davis, J. T. M. (2020). Sexual experimentation in heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian/gay, and questioning adolescents from ages 11 to 15. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 30(2), 423–439. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12535
• Russell, S. T., Pollitt, A. M., Li, G., & Grossman, A. H. (2018). Chosen name use is linked to reduced depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behavior among transgender youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 63(4), 503–505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.02.003
• Li, G., Kung, K. T., & Hines, M. (2017). Childhood gender-typed behavior and adolescent sexual orientation: A longitudinal population-based study. Developmental Psychology, 53(4), 764–777. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/dev0000281

Education

• PhD, Psychology
  University of Cambridge
• MS, Family Studies and Human Development
  University of Arizona
• BS, Applied Psychology
  Sun Yat-sen University