معرفی
Lara Gerassi is an Associate Professor at the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin–Madison. She holds a PhD, MSW, and BSW from Washington University in St. Louis and New York University. Her research focuses on improving policies and services for individuals in the sex trades, emphasizing survivor-centered methodologies and anti-oppressive practices. Dr. Gerassi’s work addresses barriers to healthcare access, service provision for marginalized populations, and intersectional frameworks for addressing systemic inequities.
Her research includes two primary lines: 1) developing rigorous survey tools to understand sex trade experiences and 2) identifying strategies to strengthen social and healthcare services for those involved in sex work. A current NIH-funded project expands this work nationally. She is the author of Sex Trafficking & Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Prevention, Advocacy, and Trauma-Informed Practice (2017), a foundational text for social work practitioners.
Dr. Gerassi teaches courses such as Sex Trading and Sex Trafficking and Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups, incorporating critical pedagogy to dismantle oppressive systems. Her funded projects emphasize community engagement and LGBTQ+ inclusivity, with recent studies exploring provider assessment practices, youth vulnerability, and retrafficking prevention. She collaborates with service providers and survivors to co-design interventions that promote dignity and equity.
Her work spans topics like racial justice in service provision, LGBTQ+ service access, and qualitative methodological innovations. Key grants include National Institute of Child Health and Human Development funding for national sex trade measurement studies. Dr. Gerassi’s pedagogical approach integrates clinical practice experience, particularly with violence survivors, to bridge academic research and real-world impact.
