Luis Parra

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Assistant Professor

Center for Mind and Brain, Suite 250, Office 245

Dr. Luis Armando Parra is an Assistant Professor in Developmental Psychology. After finishing their PhD in Human Development at UC Davis, Dr. Parra completed postdoctoral training in Social Work at the University of Southern California (USC). At USC, Dr. Parra trained with Dr. Jeremy T. Goldbach, a pioneer in measuring trajectories of sexual and gender minority adolescent stress experiences and health. Dr. Parra continued work with Dr. Goldbach, before his passing, at Washington University in Saint Louis as an Assistant Research Professor focusing on social and structural determinants of biopsychological health among Black and Latine/x sexual and gender minority emerging adults. Prior to returning to UC Davis, Dr. Parra was a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Michigan (UM). At UM, Dr. Parra continued their research program on the biopsychosocial health of sexual and gender minority adolescents and emerging adults. Dr. Parra brought their research program to an international platform, with research projects in Spain and the Netherlands, using community-based participatory research methods to assess stressful life experiences and address the needs of sexual and gender minority Spanish and Dutch adolescents in out of home care.  

 

Dr. Parra is the director of the Arcoíris Research Collective in the Department of Psychology at UC Davis. Research in the Arcoíris Research Collective centers the lives and relationships of sexual and gender minority adolescents and emerging adults at the intersections of race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, and class. Mainly, we integrate developmental, minority stress, biological, and intersectionality theoretical frameworks to examine how interlocking systems of power and oppression conjointly initiate and perpetuate stressful life conditions that compromise the psychological health of sexual and gender minority adolescents and emerging adults via biological stress processes. Our research also contextualizes positive social relationships with family, friends, peers, and the broader community as sources of belonging, strength, and support to combat the pervasive and enduring effects of being systematically structurally and socially oppressed.

 

Dr. Parra is currently recruiting undergraduate students to join the Arcoíris Research Collective for the 2025-2026 academic year. Dr. Parra is accepting graduate applicants for Fall 2026.

Education and Degree(s)
  • 2019 University of California, Davis, Doctor of Philosophy, Human Development
  • 2015 University of California, Davis, Master of Science, Child Development
  • 2010 California State University, Northridge, Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
Publications
  • Parra, L. A., Helm, J. L., & Hastings, P.D. (2025). Heterosexist victimization and diurnal cortisol predict depression trajectories among sexual and gender minority emerging adults. Psychoneuroendocrinology. DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107476
  • Vargas, S. M., Parra, L. A., Stephanie, H. Y., Flores, A., Rivas, W. A., Payat, S., ... & Miranda, J. (2025). How Intersectional Identity and Discrimination Contribute to Depressive Symptoms and Hair Cortisol Concentrations among Low-Income, Racially and Sexual Diverse Adults. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 107429. DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107429
  • Parra, L. A., Helm, J. L., & Hastings, P.D. (2022) Adrenocortical responses of emerging adults in California in the two months following the Pulse Night Club massacre: Evidence for distal stress responses. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 100129. DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100129
  • Parra, L. A., & Hastings, P.D. (2020). Challenges to identity integration indirectly link experiences of heterosexist and racist discrimination to lower waking salivary cortisol in sexually diverse Latinx emerging adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 228. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00228
  • Parra, L. A., & Hastings, P.D. (2018). Integrating the neurobiology of minority stress with an intersectionality framework for LGBTQ-Latinx populations. In Santos, C. E. & Toomey, R. B. (Eds.), Envisioning the Integration of an Intersectional Lens in Developmental Science. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 161, 91–108. DOI: 10.1002/cad.20244
  • Parra, L. A., Benibgui, M., Helm J. L., & Hastings P. D. (2016). Minority stress predicts depression in lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults via elevated diurnal cortisol. Emerging Adulthood, 4(5), 365–372. DOI: 10.1177/2167696815626822
  • López, M. L., Parra, L. A., O’Brien, R. P., ten Brummelaar, M., Villas, M. F., & Martínez-Jothar, G. Exploring Microaggressions among LGBTQIA+ Youth in the Child Welfare System. Children and Youth Services Review. DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108459
  • Goldbach, J. T., Parra, L. A., O’Brien, R., Rhoades, H., & Schrager, S. M. (2023). Explaining behavioral health differences in urban and rural sexual minority adolescents. Journal of Rural Health, 39(1); 262-271. DOI: 10.1111/jrh.12706
  • Parra, L. A., O’Brien, R. P., Schrager, S. M., & Goldbach, J. T. (2021). COVID-19-related household job loss and mental health in a US national sample of sexual minority adolescents. Behavioral Medicine. Advanced online publication. DOI: 10.1080/08964289.2021.1977604
  • Mereish, E. H., Parra, L. A., Watson, R. J., & Fish, J. N. (2021). Subtle minority stress and depressive symptoms among sexual and gender minority adolescents of color: Mediating role of self-esteem and sense of mastery. Prevention Science, 23(1), 142-153. DOI: 10.1007/s11121 021-01294-9
  • Alley, J., Gassen, J., Parra, L. A., Kipke, M. D., Goldbach, J. T., Cole, S. W., & Slavich, G. M. (2025). How community connection, homophobia, and racism shape gene expression in sexual minority men with and without HIV. Health Psychology. DOI: 10.1037/hea0001410
  • Alvarez, R.G., Parra, L. A., ten Brummelaar, M., Avraamidou, L., & López M. L. (2022). Resilience among LGBTQIA+ youth in out-of-home care: a scoping review. Child Abuse & Neglect, 129, 105660. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105660
  • Parra, L. A., van Bergen, Dumon, E., Kretschmer, T., La Roi, C., Portzky, G., & Frost, D. (2021). Family belongingness attenuates entrapment and buffers its association with suicidal ideation in a sample of Dutch sexual minority emerging adults. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 50(3), 983-1001. DOI: 10.1007/s10508-020-01838-0
  • Parra, L. A., Bell, T. S., Benibgui, M., Helm, J. L., & Hastings, P. D. (2017). The buffering effect of peer social support: peer support, family rejection, and psychosocial adjustment in LGB emerging adults. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 34(7), 189–211. DOI: 10.1177/0265407517699713