RESEARCH
"If they are to achieve sexual and reproductive health,
people must be empowered
to exercise control over their sexual and reproductive lives, and
must have access to related health services."
(World
Health Organization, 2004)
I am joining CSULB after working as an Agency for Health Research and Quality postdoctoral fellow at the UC San Francisco Institute for Health Policy Studies. Prior to that position, I earned my Ph.D. in Psychology from the Community and Prevention Research program at the University of Illinois at Chicago with a minor in Statistics, Methods, and Measurement. In my research, I apply ecological theory and cultural analysis to the psychological study of sexual health promotion and HIV prevention within multiple communities. I approach research from a community-based perspective and work to identify ways to apply social science to solving social problems.
Areas of research
Community-based research
Sexual health promotion and intervention development
Ecology of lesbian, gay, bisexual health
HIV prevention among youth
Culturally specific health research
Program evaluation
CURRENT PROJECTS
If you are an undergraduate student and interested in working with me to get research experience, please complete the attached application and contact me.
Sexual culture and sexual health
The Black Lesbians’ Ideas about Sex and Sexuality (BLISS) Study is a research project I initiated in Chicago as part of my doctoral thesis. Through BLISS, I have aimed to inform the development of culturally grounded sexual health promotion programs for African American lesbians by assessing community and individual beliefs about, and norms for, sex and sexuality. BLISS is a multiple method research project, incorporating three qualitative methodologies with three data sources- focus groups with African American lesbians, individual interviews with community leaders in sexual health, and participant observations at poetry nights attended primarily by Black lesbian and bisexual women. Currently, I am preparing to start a new BLISS for southern California and I am interested in recruiting student research assistants who are excited about this area of research.
Health care access among
lesbians and gays
The current study seeks to examine predictors of health insurance coverage among lesbians and gay men (LG) and produce a manuscript and policy brief that will inform current LGB health-related advocacy. As this project is exploratory, there are no a priori hypotheses. However, it is expected that both family structure and economic factors will be related to the acquisition of health insurance among LG people. Data obtained through the 2003 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) will be used to examine rates and factors associated with health insurance coverage among LG Californians. CHIS was conducted and approved through the institutional review board of UCLA.