UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Shamayeta Bhattacharya, assistant professor of community engagement and leadership at Point Park University, will give the talk, “SHAKTHI: Studying Healthcare Accessibility among Kothi, Transgender and Hijra Individuals,” at the Department of Geography's fall 2023 Coffee Hour lecture series. Her talk will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15, in 112 Walker Building on the University Park campus and via Zoom.

Bhattacharya will discuss critical issues related to health care access for marginalized communities, with a particular focus on Hijra, Kothi, and transgender (HKT) individuals in Kolkata, India. Topics to be addressed include barriers such as affordability, acceptance, accommodation and accessibility that HKT individuals encounter when seeking health care. Also included in the talk is the development of a comprehensive health care access index and the use of spatial analysis to identify disparities among HKT communities.

Bhattacharya is a broadly trained health and gender geographer. Her research and teaching focuses on the impact of health disparity, alcohol and substance use behavior, social support on mental health outcomes and health care access among transgender people.

Her research has regional focus in South Asia, with ongoing projects in Kolkata and Cooch Behar, India. She uses mixed methods, health models, human rights framework and intersectional approaches for identifying inequities in health access among vulnerable populations.

Bhattacharya earned her doctorate in geography from the University of Connecticut and completed graduate certificates in human rights, and women, gender and sexuality studies.

Her talk is part of the fall 2023 "Coffee Hour" seminar series hosted by Penn State’s Department of Geography. To learn more and access the Zoom information, visit the Coffee Hour event webpage.