ELIJAH R. CASTLE
ABOUT ME / MY WORK
My name is Elijah Castle. I currently work as a study coordinator for the Hunter Alliance for Research and Translation (HART) at Hunter College. I am also pursuing an Advanced Certificate in Disability Studies at the CUNY School of Professional Studies.
Previously, I have worked in the gender-affirming surgery program at NYU Langone as a research coordinator and at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center as a medical case manager in the Health Outreach to Teens (HOTT) program. I also have completed graduate coursework in bioethics at the NYU School of Global Public Health. For over five years, I have provided peer and community support and education on topics related to trans healthcare and surgery navigation (especially genital surgeries).
I am particularly interested in research on embodied experiences of healthcare, especially for those accessing surgical interventions, specifically (but not limited to) metoidioplasty and phalloplasty for transgender individuals. I am interested in how these healthcare experiences can affect future healthcare engagement, but also people's lives beyond the exam room, such as self-perception, and meta-perception. I am also interested in how these experiences can be inform healthcare interventions which can increase autonomy and agency for patients. My research interests extend to trauma-informed approaches to healthcare, as well as how peer and community support/connectedness might help mitigate medical trauma and otherwise negative healthcare experiences and improve patient education.
I also run https://www.phallometa.wiki/, a website which aims to provide comprehensive, up-to-date information and bust myths about metoidioplasty and phalloplasty through research and lived experiences of community members.
SELECTED CITATIONS
Manuscripts/peer-reviewed publications:
Zhang TR, Castle ER, Dubach-Reinhold C, Blasdel G, Kloer C, Alford A, Bluebond-Langner R, Zhao LC. Pilot Test of A Gender-conscious Sexual Health Intake Questionnaire: Increasing Inclusivity and Mitigating Bias in Sexual History Taking. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open. 2024;12(4):e5614.
Castle ER, Klein A. Pointing out anti-fat bias in BMI restrictions discourse: Response to Allen et al. (2024), “principlism and contemporary ethical considerations for providers of transgender health care.” International Journal of Transgender Health. Published online February 2024:1-3.
Zhang TR, Castle ER, Zhao LC. What Pediatric Robotic Surgery Since 2000 Suggests About Ethics, Limits, and Innovation. AMA Journal of Ethics. 2023;25(8):637-642.
Castle ER, Kimberly L, Blasdel G, Parker A, Bluebond-Langner R, Zhao LC. Should BMI Help Determine Gender-Affirming Surgery Candidacy? AMA Journal of Ethics. 2023;25(7):496-506.
Blasdel G, Kloer C, Parker A, Castle ER, Bluebond-Langner R, Zhao LC. Coming Soon: Ability to Orgasm After Gender-Affirming Vaginoplasty. J Sex Med. 2022;19(5):781-788.
Castle ER, Blasdel G, Shakir NA, Zhao LC, Bluebond-Langner R. Weight stigma mitigating approaches to gender-affirming genital surgery. Plast Aesthet Res. 2022;9(20).
Book chapters:
Castle ER, Kimberly LL. Gender-affirming surgery in later life: centring older adults’ perspectives to promote equitable access and person-centred surgical care. In: Hafford-Letchfield T, Willis P, Toze M, eds. Trans and Gender Diverse Ageing in Care Contexts: Research into Practice. Bristol University Press; 2024:138-155.
Oral abstracts + presentations:
Adams N, Berrian L, Blasdel G, Castle ER, Jennings L, Wilson L, Rutherford L. Neurodivergent people are just as prepared for phalloplasty and metoidioplasty as neurotypicals: Results from PROGRESS, a community-based survey. World Professional Association for Transgender Health 28th Scientific Symposium. Lisbon, Portugal. September 2024.
Rutherford L, Adams N, Berrian L, Blasdel G, Castle ER, Jennings L, Wilson L. Patients report mental health improvement after phalloplasty and metoidioplasty: Results from a community-based participatory survey. World Professional Association for Transgender Health 28th Scientific Symposium. Lisbon, Portugal. September 2024.
Castle JE, Castle ER, Klein A. How Patients Want You to Talk with Them about Sexual Health Data: Informed Recommendations for Patient-Provider Communication. The Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference 2024 Continuing Education Track. Philadelphia, PA. September 2024.
Castle ER, Rutherford L. Phalloplasty and Metoidioplasty A-to-D: A genital surgery crash course. The Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference 2024 Community Track. Philadelphia, PA. September 2024.
Rutherford L, Castle ER. Feeling Blue: Exploring Post-Op Depression and Strategies for Mitigating It After Metoidioplasty and Phalloplasty. The Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference 2024 Community Track. Philadelphia, PA. September 2024.
Klein A, Golub S, Castle ER, Starbuck L, Guerra A, Harris A, Berke D. Creating an evidence-based trauma-informed approach to research with transgender and non-binary individuals. United States Professional Association of Transgender Health 2023 Scientific Symposium. Westminster, CO. November 2023.
Castle ER*, Daigle R*, Cazares A. Guidelines for a Stepwise Model of Informed Consent in Gender-Affirming Surgery. United States Professional Association of Transgender Health 2023 Scientific Symposium. Westminster, CO. November 2023.
Castle ER, Kimberly LL. Considerations for Gender-Affirming Surgery in Later Life. United States Professional Association of Transgender Health 2023 Scientific Symposium. Westminster, CO. November 2023.
Kerwin J, Castle ER, Klein A. Context matters: Improving sexual health conversations in healthcare with trans men and transmasculine people. TransPride PGH. Virtual. October 2023.
Castle ER, Kerwin J, Klein A. Beyond sexual function: Facilitating embodiment and sexual wellbeing for patients pursuing and postoperative genital surgery. TransPride PGH. Virtual. October 2023.
Castle ER. Beyond sexual function: Embodiment and wellbeing after genital surgery. TransPride PGH. Virtual. October 2023.
Castle ER. Phalloplasty and Metoidioplasty A-to-D. TransPride PGH. Virtual. October 2023.
Castle ER, Blasdel G, Dubach-Reinhold C, Zhang TR, Bluebond-Langner R, Zhao LC. Does Body Mass Index Influence Vaginoplasty Outcomes? 2023 American Urological Association Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL. April 2023.
Blasdel G, Dubach-Reinhold C, Castle ER, Bluebond-Langner R, Zhao LC. Outcomes of 429 Primary Robotic Peritoneal Flap Gender Affirming Vaginoplasty Cases. 2023 American Urological Association Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL. April 2023.
Castle ER, Mishra K, Blasdel G, Bluebond-Langner R, Zhao L. Pleasure and Sexual Health After Gender-Affirming Genital Surgery. First Event Conference. Boston, MA. January 2023.
Castle ER. The importance of peer support and embodied knowledge: A model for community-led gender-affirming surgery education based on an existing peer support model. Callen-Lorde Gender Affirming Perioperative Practices (GAPP) Summit. Virtual. November 2022.
Castle ER, Blasdel G, Robinson IS, Zhao LC, Bluebond-Langner R. A Comparison of Non-Surgical Methods Used By Phalloplasty and Metoidioplasty Patients to Improve Connection to Genitals: How Usage of Methods and Their Perceived Helpfulness Shift After Surgery. World Professional Association of Transgender Health 27th Scientific Symposium Surgeon’s Only Program. Montreal, Quebec. September 2022.
Castle ER, Cazares A, Luscombe R, Fisher K, Bluebond-Langner R, Zhao LC. Multidisciplinary Teamwork in Gender-Affirming Surgery: An Integrative Approach to Care. Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference Continuing Education Track. Virtual. July 2022.
Castle ER, Blasdel G. Transmasculine Genital Surgery in the 21st Century. Philadelphia Transgender Wellness Conference 2022. Virtual. July 2022.
Castle ER, Cazares A, Dubach-Reinhold C, Bluebond-Langner R. Gender-Affirming Surgery for Youth. Philadelphia Transgender Wellness Conference 2022. Virtual. July 2022.
Castle ER. Gender-Affirming Care for Youth - Evidence-Based Information and Advocacy. Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference Continuing Education Track. Virtual. July 2022.
Agochukwu-Mmonu N, Castle ER, Zhao LC, Radix A, Bluebond-Langner R, Makarov DV, Ospina-Norvell C, Berry C. Patient Reported Outcomes in Genital Gender-Affirming Surgery: Magnifying the Patient Voice. United States Professional Association of Transgender Health 2021 Virtual Scientific Symposium. Virtual. November 2021.
Castle ER, Shakir N, Blasdel G, Zhao LC, Bluebond-Langner R. Weight-stigma mitigating approaches to genital gender affirming surgery. United States Professional Association of Transgender Health 2021 Virtual Scientific Symposium. Virtual. November 2021.
* indicates co-first authorship
Poster presentations:
Castle ER, Klein A. Facilitators and barriers to gender-affirming surgery for patients with a high body mass index (BMI). World Professional Association for Transgender Health 28th Scientific Symposium. Lisbon, Portugal. September 2024.
Castle ER, Adams N, Berrian L, Blasdel G, Jennings L, Wilson L, Rutherford L. Surgical preparation for phalloplasty and metoidioplasty: Results from a community-based cross-sectional survey and implications for preoperative assessments. World Professional Association for Transgender Health 28th Scientific Symposium. Lisbon, Portugal. September 2024.
Castle ER, Adams N, Berrian L, Blasdel G, Jennings L, Wilson L, Rutherford L. Sexual satisfaction and experiences for individuals undergoing phalloplasty and metoidioplasty. World Professional Association for Transgender Health 28th Scientific Symposium. Lisbon, Portugal. September 2024.
Zhang TR, Castle ER, Dubach-Reinhold C, Blasdel G, Kloer C, Alford A, Bluebond-Langner R, Zhao LC. Development and pilot testing of a gender-conscious Sexual Health Intake questionnaire. 2024 American Urological Association Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX. May 2024.
Dubach-Reinhold C, Blasdel G, Castle ER, Zhao LC, Bluebond-Langner R. Comparing Electrolysis and Laser Hair Removal For Depilation of Phalloplasty Donor Flap: Patient Reported Outcomes and Satisfaction. World Professional Association of Transgender Health 27th Scientific Symposium. Montreal, Quebec. September 2022.
Agochukwu-Mmonu N, Castle ER, Zhao LC, Radix A, Bluebond-Langner R, Harel D, Makarov D, Ospina-Norvell C, Berry C. Patient Perspectives in Genital Gender-Affirming Surgery: The Need for Patient Reported Outcome Measures. 2022 American Urological Association Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA. May 2022.
Blasdel G, Castle ER, Kloer C, Parker A, Bluebond-Langner R, Zhao LC. Quantifying Time To Orgasm After Gender Affirming Vaginoplasty. A2022 American Urological Association Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA. May 2022.
Professional memberships
1/2023-Present Member
National Student Bioethics Association
12/2022-Present Member
American Society for Bioethics + Humanities
08/2022–Present Member, Empirical Bioethics Working Group
NYU Langone Health
07/2021-Present Full voting member
World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH)
07/2021-Present Full voting member
United States Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH)
10/2019-Present Member
Trans Health Advocates of New York (THANY)
10/2022-5/2023 Member, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Data Working Group
NYU Langone Health
07/2021-05/2023 Member, LGBTQ+ Advisory Council
NYU Langone Health
If you would like to see my full CV, please contact me: castle.elijahr [@] gmail.com
COLLABORATION
I have consulted for and provided education for medical residency programs, surgical practices, and others working in trans healthcare. I also have experience in program evaluation and healthcare analytics for trans healthcare providers and organizations.
I am available for consultation, presentations, education, and other opportunities for collaboration.
If you would like to see samples of my work or discuss working together, please get in touch.
CONTACT ME
Feel free to reach out if you would like to get in touch.
You can also find me on LinkedIn.