LEXINGTON, Ky. — Dr. Lynden Bond, Ph.D., MSW, assistant professor in the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW), has been selected as a UK ASCEND Scholar, joining the third cohort of faculty chosen for this prestigious two-year community-engaged research development program beginning February 1, 2026.
Funded by the National Institutes of Health through the Achieving Success in Community-Engaged Research to ElimiNate Disparities (UK ASCEND) initiative, the program equips early-career researchers with comprehensive training in community-engaged research methods, mentorship, and pilot funding to translate evidence into action.
During the first year, scholars participate in the UK Research Scholars Program (RSP) with workshops, coursework, and community partnerships. The second year provides funding for a mentored, community-guided pilot project of up to $50,000 designed to advance research outcomes that matter to communities.
“I am incredibly excited to begin as an ASCEND scholar during its third cohort. The time and support I’ll receive in this program will provide me with the skills I need to make sure my research is focused on working with communities, including directly impacted people,” Bond said.
Bond’s research is rooted in partnerships with communities facing homelessness and housing instability. Her work centers on understanding and addressing the complex intersections of housing insecurity, behavioral health, and access to care, priorities shaped by her own professional practice and advocacy experience in social work.
“As a social work researcher, I want my research to be useful to communities and to help answer the questions or challenges they have; I see community-engaged methods as a natural fit to doing this work,” Bond shared. “My research supported by the ASCEND program will focus on how homeless outreach programs can best support people with mental health or substance use-related needs.”
Bond recently served as a lead investigator on the 2025 Care to Count Initiative, a first-of-its-kind effort to document the experiences of hospitalized patients experiencing homelessness through a Hospital Point in Time Count in Lexington. This project, co-led with colleagues from the College of Social Work and UK HealthCare partners, aimed to illuminate hidden gaps in homelessness data and inform policy and service solutions that better support individuals at the intersection of crisis health events and housing instability.
Through her ASCEND-supported work and related community-engaged research, Bond continues to strengthen services and advance responses that improve housing and behavioral health outcomes. Her scholarship exemplifies the potential of community-driven research to catalyze real-world impact.
