Dr. Alana LeBron (she/her) 

Lab Director

Associate Professor, Dept. of Health, Society, & Behavior, Program in Public Health & Dept. of Chicano/Latino Studies, School of Social Sciences | Equity Advisor – Program in Public Health

My Research: Working in partnership with communities to understand how policy, system, and environmental factors that shape health equity affect the well-being of low-income communities of color and evaluating community-driven strategies to promote health equity. My expertise pertains to the health of Latiné communities.  ​

What do you like about research: I love nuanced storytelling to deepen our understanding of people’s lived experiences and what we learn about health, from a holistic perspective. I see my role in the work towards liberation as providing the data/synthesis of findings to serve as a tool for action. 

Melina Michelen (she/her/ella)​

Research Manager, Program in Public Health (Dept. of Health, Society, and Behavior)​

My research: My research revolves around a core focus on promoting health equity. I have worked on gaining insights into the clinical management of high-consequence infectious diseases and rapidly emerging public health threats. I’ve also worked in direct partnership with communities to understand the impact of structural factors on health equity.​

What do you like about research: I love constantly learning and being challenged; research allows you think differently by encouraging you to question your process, make changes, and stretch your mind to think of new ideas, reasons, and possibilities. 

Julia Mangione (she/her/hers)​

Research Coordinator, Program in Public Health (Dept. of Health, Society, and Behavior)​

​My research: My past research has focused on community engagement processes and mobilizations in the face of injustice, and how communities collaborate with or challenge power structures. I’m particularly passionate about environmental justice issues. In my new role my work is centered on health equity.​

What do you like about research: I love working with other people to help us all better understand the world we live in, and to equip ourselves to change it for the better. I think research can be a powerful tool for communities to leverage to better advocate for themselves. 

Dr. John Billimek (he/him)​

Vice Chair and Associate Professor​
Co-Director, PRIME-LC Residency Track, Department of Familty Medicine Director, the HELIOS lab |  Co-PI UC PRIME Pathways Program

My research: I study how health care systems can be more responsive and trustworthy to the diverse patients they serve in medically under-resourced areas.​

What do you like about research: I love it when research can be an engine for health equity, especially when it advances the career development of equity-minded students on their path to the health professions

Dean Bernadette Boden-Albala (she/her/hers)​

Director and Founding Dean, Program in Public Health; Professor, Department of Health, Society, and Behavior; Professor, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine

My research: I have built a robust portfolio of community-engaged research that focuses on reducing health disparities, including the role of sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, social support, stress, and social networks on vascular disease in the U.S. and globally.

Dr. Sora Park Tanjasiri (she/her/hers)​

Professor,  Program in Public Health (Dept. of Health, Society, and Behavior) | Associate Director of Cancer Health Equity & Community Engagement at the UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center 

My research: I study health disparities and develop and test interventions promoting health equity in cancer prevention, early detection, and survivorship with a focus on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

What do you like about research: I work in close partnership with community leaders and non-profit organizations, and thus get to constantly learn from their expertise and experiences.​

Dr. Brittany Morey (she/her/hers)​

Assistant Professor,  Program in Public Health (Dept. of Health, Society, and Behavior)

My research: I research how structural racism contributes to health inequities for communities of color, with a focus on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and other immigrant populations.   

What do you like about research: I love to write and to be creative and innovative in thinking about how to best communicate how we should be thinking about and addressing issues that affect the communities that I care about.​

Dr. Salvador “Sal” Zarate (he/him)

Assistant Professor, UC Irvine, Department of Anthropology

My research: I research how racialized communities, like residential gardeners, make life and meaning through their labor and their connections to the ecology.

What do you like about research: I love the process of learning new things and working with others. Writing research is a creative act, and I love writing because it lets me connect to others and the world in a meaningful way.