UC Faculty Directory

University of California Health Equity Researchers

The California Initiative for Health Equity and Action (Cal-IHEA) supports faculty engagements with state health and human services agency leaders and policymakers to foster the development of evidence-based policies and evaluation of implementation. This directory highlights UC faculty conducting relevant to advancing health equity.

Name	Job title	Campus	Role	Research interests
Gregory Aarons PhD	Professor	UC San Diego	UC San Diego Researcher	Substance use Mental Health HIV services Management and organizational issues
Sara Ackerman PhD, MPH	Associate Professor	UC San Francisco	UC San Francisco Faculty	Medical anthropology Science and technology studies Genetics and genomics Social and cultural implications of new medical technologies Social determinants of health Health equity
Patience Afulani MD, PhD, MPH	Assistant Professor	UC San Francisco	UC San Francisco Faculty	Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health Health equity Quality of care Person-centered care, Respectful maternity care, Global Health Food security Migrant Health, Minority health
Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola MD, PhD	Professor	UC Davis	UC Davis Faculty	Mental health disparities Immigrant health Rural Populations
Adrian Aguilera PhD	Associate Professor	UC Berkeley	UC Berkeley Faculty	Latino Health Behavioral Health
Cyrus Ahalt MPP	Associate Director, Medicine	UC San Francisco	UC San Francisco Faculty	Criminal Justice and Prison Reform Public Health and Health Reform Teaching & Mentorship
Jennifer Ahern PhD, MPH	Professor	UC Berkeley	UC Berkeley Faculty	Neighborhood characteristics and health Traumatic events Substance use Mental health Behavioral health Birth outcomes and maternal health Population health
Amani Allen PhD, MPH	Associate Professor	UC Berkeley	UC Berkeley Faculty	Intersection of race, socioeconomic position and gender and its role in understanding patterns of racial health inequities Racial discrimination and the psychobiology of stress Place, person-environment interactions, and health Measurement of racism as a social ...
Matthew Allison MD, MPH	Professor in Residence	UC San Diego	UC San Diego Researcher	Prevention of cardiovascular diseases, with specific focal areas to include subclinical atherosclerosis, metabolism and body composition, kidney disease, women’s health and racial/ethnic disparities
Paul Almeida PhD	Professor		UC Merced Faculty	Climate Justice Social Movements Environmental Sociology Mobilization in Defense of Public Health Environmental Justice
Cheryl A.M. Anderson PhD, MPH, MS	Professor		UC San Diego Researcher
Dorie Apollonio PhD	Professor	UC San Francisco	UC San Francisco Faculty	health policy substance use vulnerable populations homelessness mental health disorders
Ifeyinwa Asiodu RN, PhD	Assistant Professor	UC San Francisco	UC San Francisco Faculty	Breastfeeding Infant feeding Maternal stress Lactation Life course perspective Family dynamics Health equity Workforce diversity
Colette (CoCo) Auerswald MD, MS	Associate Professor	UC Berkeley	UC Berkeley Faculty	Social determinants of health of marginalized youth populations (particularly youth experiencing homelessness, low-income youth of color and LGBTQ youth) Structural interventions to improve the health of marginalized youth populations Stigma, social networks, and ...
Cecilia Ayón PhD, MSW	Associate Professor	UC Riverside	UC Riverside Faculty	Factors that promote/hinder the well-being of Latino immigrant families Immigration policy Health disparities Intervention development and evaluation
Miya Barnett PhD	Assistant Professor		UC Santa Barbara Faculty	How Lay Health Workers (LHWs) can be mobilized to increase access to evidence-based practices for underserved communities. How implementation science can promote health equity
Roshan Bastani PhD	Professor	UC Los Angeles	UC Los Angeles Faculty	Examination of the drivers of disparities among underserved groups Implementation of community-partnered pragmatic intervention trials to mitigate observed disparities Methodological expertise: survey research; quantitative methods; research ...
Janice Bell PhD, MPH, MN	Professor	UC Davis	UC Davis Faculty	Serious illness care Care navigation with religious congregations Maternal and child health
Hiram Beltrán-Sánchez PhD	Associate Professor	UC Los Angeles	UC Los Angeles Faculty	Demography Disability Social Epidemiology Global Health Health Disparities Latin American Health Population Health Social Determinants of ...
Melinda Bender, RN, PhD	Assistant Professor	UC San Francisco	UC San Francisco Faculty	Prevention of lifestyle related chronic disease Health disparities in underserved, underrepresented populations Asian American subgroups and Filipino health promotion Community-engaged culturally adapted interventions programs
Mengesha Biftu MD, MAS	Assistant Professor	UC San Francisco	UC San Francisco Faculty	Abortion and contraceptive care and training Complex contraception Health disparities Obesity Bariatric surgery and reproductive health Medical education Equity and inclusion in the clinical and learning environment
John Billimek PhD	Assistant Professor in Residence	UC Irvine	UC Irvine Faculty	Medication adherence Diabetes Health disparities Social determinants of health Doctor-patient communication Life context and chronic disease management
Andy Bindman MD	Professor	UC San Francisco	UC San Francisco Faculty	Health policy Access to care Vulnerable populations Medicaid, outcomes research
Marianne P. Bitler, PhD	Professor	UC Davis	UC Davis Faculty	Effects of the US social safety net on poverty, income, human capital, and health Economics of the family Economics of education Health economics
Boriska Rabin PhD, MPH	Assistant Adjunct Professor	UC San Diego	UC San Diego Researcher	Cancer prevention and care Development and evaluation of cancer prognostic tools Coordination of care Ischemic heart disease in the context of diverse community- and clinic-based settings including academic safety net, and integrated delivery systems, VA, and ...
Cherrie Boyer PhD	Professor	UC San Francisco	UC San Francisco Faculty	Adolescent Health, Risk-Taking Behavior Psychosocial and Behavioral Predictors of Risk Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)/ Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Interventions Unintended Pregnancy Prevention Alcohol and Substance Use Health ...
Amanda Brewster, PhD	Assistant Professor		UC Berkeley Faculty
Claire Brindis DrPH, MPH	Professor	UC San Francisco	UC San Francisco Faculty	Adolescent and child health policy United States healthcare reform Health disparities and social determinants of health Adolescent pregnancy and pregnancy prevention Adolescent and young adult health and risk-taking behaviors Reproductive health ...
Arleen Brown MD, PhD	Associate Professor	UC Los Angeles	UC Los Angeles Faculty	Health care system, social, and individual level determinants of health for persons with diabetes. Quality of care for older adults and minorities with diabetes
Sara Brown EdD, MN	Assistant Professor	UC Irvine	UC Irvine Faculty	Health Disparities Health Equity Health Behavior Health Promotion Low-Resource Population Health Maternal-Child Health Postpartum Breastfeeding Mobile-Health Structural racism and health Community ...
Timothy Brown PhD	Associate Adjunct Professor	UC Berkeley	UC Berkeley Faculty	Public health systems and services Chronic pain Health insurance design Social capital and health Mental health services Dental services
Esteban G. Burchard MD, MPH	Professor	UC San Francisco	UC San Francisco Faculty	Environmental Health Precision Medicine
Andres Cardenas PhD, MPH	Assistant Professor	UC Berkeley	UC Berkeley Faculty	Children’s environmental health Epigenetics Environmental epidemiology Molecular epidemiology Water Contaminants (PFAS, Arsenic, Metals, etc)
Richard M. Carpiano PhD, MPH, MA, M.Phil	Professor	UC Riverside	UC Riverside Faculty	Social determinants of child undernutrition Childhood asthma Early child development HPV vaccination Smoking and alcohol use among adults Body mass index among women Substance use and sexual risk among gay men Suicide ideation ...
Alejandra Casillas MD	Assistant Professor	UC Los Angeles	UC Los Angeles Faculty	Latino Health Immigrant Health Access to health for Spanish-speaking patients
Susan Chapman PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN	Professor	UC San Francisco	UC San Francisco Faculty	Health workforce research Health policy analysis, and program evaluation
Ann Marie Cheney PhD	Assistant Professor in Residence	UC Riverside	UC Riverside Faculty	Structural inequalities in health Substance use and mental health services Latino immigrant health
Emmeline Chuang PhD	Associate Professor	UC Berkeley	UC Los Angeles Faculty	Safety-Net Organizations Organization and management of health and human services Access and quality of care
Janet Coffman PhD, MA, MPP	Professor	UC San Francisco	UC San Francisco Faculty	Innovations in management of asthma and other chronic illnesses Access to care for vulnerable populations Development of evidence-based health policies Health care workforce issues
Jason Corburn PhD, MCP	Professor	UC Berkeley	UC Berkeley Faculty	Urban Climate Change & health equity Environmental Health & Justice Urban planning, design & health Community gun violence reduction Community-based action research Racial & ethnic inequities in health Health in All ...
Courtney Lyles PhD	Associate Professor	UC San Francisco	UC San Francisco Faculty	Health information technology and mobile health Chronic disease self-management support Patient-provider communication Healthcare disparities
William Cunningham MD, MPH	Professor	UC Los Angeles	UC Los Angeles Faculty	Health Services Research HIV/AIDS Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Care, Barriers to care, and Health Outcomes
Elizabeth D'Amico PhD	Adjunct Professor	UC Los Angeles	UC Los Angeles Faculty	Clinical Psychology Prevention and Intervention Substance Abuse
Julianna Deardorff PhD	Associate Professor	UC Berkeley	UC Berkeley Faculty	Adolescent sexuality and reproductive health Promotion of health, positive mental health, and well-being among Children and adolescents Mexican-origin families and health behaviors Stress and coping
Allison Diamant MD	Adjunct Professor	UC Los Angeles	UC Los Angeles Faculty	Access and quality of care for underserved and vulnerable populations Evaluation of programs to study care provided to low-income and uninsured populations, breast cancer care for uninsured women, racial and ethnic disparities in colorectal cancer diagnosis Effect of ...
Carlos Dobkin PhD	Professor	UC Santa Cruz	UC Santa Cruz	Health economics Education Applied econometrics
James Doucet-Battle PhD	Assistant Professor	UC Santa Cruz	UC Santa Cruz	Health disparities Race and medicine Power, subject-making, and citizenship Ethnography Political economy Grounded theory: diasporic and transnational Africa.
Emily Dow MD, MA	Clinical Professor		UC Irvine Faculty	Underserved care in inner-cities and urban areas Health care in developing countries Resident and medical student education, women's health, adolescent health, and care of adults with developmental disabilities including Down Syndrome
William Dow PhD	Professor	UC Berkeley	UC Berkeley Faculty	Health Economics Economic Demography
O. Kenrik Duru MD, MS	Associate Professor	UC Los Angeles	UC Los Angeles Faculty	Finding better ways to translate evidence-based recommendations on the prevention and treatment of diabetes in real-world settings How shared-decision making about their own health may help patients make decisions that better reflect their personal values