Zuzanna Kiwerska-Sobolewska is a Ph.D. student at the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School at the University of Warsaw. She studies Polish Sign Language (PJM), Deaf culture in Poland, and sociocultural aspects of mental health care. Her background is in cultural studies, but she draws from sociolinguistics, cognitive linguistics, anthropology, ethnomethodology, philosophy, and history. Her research experience includes being a primary investigator of Diamond Grant (DI2018 009348), funded by Polish Ministry of Higher Education, and a Fulbright Visiting Student Researcher at the UIC Department of Disability and Human Development.
Within MEDEP, Zuzanna will examine the intersection of deaf social media and mental health. She will explore how grassroots organizations address the ongoing mental health crisis, and the systemic barriers that deaf individuals face in accessing adequate care. By analyzing the role of social media in fostering community support, raising awareness, and advocating for policy changes, her research will highlight both the potential and the limitations of digital platforms in shaping mental health discourse among deaf populations. Additionally, she will investigate how grassroots efforts work to fill gaps left by traditional healthcare systems, promoting culturally and linguistically accessible mental health resources tailored to the unique needs of deaf individuals.
Media and Epidemics (MEDEP) 