My research has three main goals:
Improve understanding of how exposure to stress and trauma during critical developmental periods (such as pregnancy and childhood) impacts mental health, particularly within racially and ethnically minoritized populations.
Identify specific resilience factors that reduce mental health disparities stemming from exposure to adversity.
Develop and contribute to interventions that disrupt pathways from adversity to mental health risk.
I use quantitative, qualitative, and community-engaged methods.
Much of my research is conducted through multidisciplinary partnerships, for example with local community mental health agencies, hospitals, and safety net medical clinics.
My work has garnered honors such as the University of California Presidents’ Dissertation Fellowship and the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Division 56 Outstanding Dissertation in Trauma Psychology award.
I aim for my research to be community and culturally-informed and relevant to intervention, prevention, and policy.
Reflections on Our Origins in the Transition to Parenthood Study (ROOTS)(Funded by a STEM NET EAGER Grant from the CSU, in collaboration with Dr. Irene Tung). This study is exploring the unique mental health challenges and resources faced by second-generation immigrants (SGIs) during the transition to parenthood, with a focus on cultural factors.
SoCal Kids Study (funded by the California Institute of Precision Medicine. Role: Co-Investigator). In this project we are screening a large, diverse cohort of 100,000 children for previously established ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) in addition to a novel ACE— unpredictability in early life— to understand their unique and cumulative impact on child mental health. This project also has a strong community-engagement focus and we have held focus groups and Community Advisory Board meetings with community stakeholders, parents, and providers to inform successful implementation of screening for ACEs and unpredictability across Children’s Hospital of Orange County’s large network of primary care clinics. As part of this study, I am assessing the impact of racism-related stress and adversity during pregnancy and potential cultural protective factors on child health and development.
Intergenerational Transmission of Racial Trauma: Advancing Understanding of Biological and Psychological Pathways (funded by the American Psychological Foundation. Role: Principal Investigator). By leveraging an existing longitudinal prospective pregnancy cohort of women and children, the goal of this pilot study is to enhance understanding of how racial trauma experienced by racially and ethnically minoritized women across their lifespan (including pregnancy) impacts the mental health of their offspring.
Building a partnership to improve research and training for prospective healthcare providers on integrated primary care and increase access to mental health services (funded by Community Relations & University Engagement, CSUSM).
Studying psychological risk and resilience after exposure to a wide range of traumatic events, including natural disasters, community and mass violence, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and racism
Researching the development and implementation of innovative mental health treatment models for youth in Goa, India, Santa Barbara, CA, and Cambridge, MA.
Please see my Google Scholar profile.
