She is Co-Principal Investigator of the National Institute of Mental Health funded project "Coping with Rural Community HIV Stigma: Sexual Health and Psychological Well-Being.” Research, clinical and teaching interests concern stigma, chronic illness, facial distinction, disability, and genetic anomalies. Since 1998, Sondra has coordinated the Fall Institute on Racism, Heterosexism, Bias and Oppression at the University of Vermont, an event that gathers the UVM and the Vermont community at-large in scholarly and provocative discourses regarding stigma, inequity, and other forms of oppression in educational, institutional and community settings.