A North Carolina native, Carlisha Hall, is a recent graduate from the UC Merced Public Health PhD program. Her journey has been shaped by a passion for community well-being and wildlife conservation. She is actively involved in several community groups focused on women's health and wellness and volunteers at the Merced Applegate Zoo, where she participates in local wildlife conservation efforts and outreach activities for the Merced community.
Before learning about UC Merced at a conference, Carlisha was encouraged to explore public health by her research advisor at the National Institute of Health (NIH) where she studied social-environmental determinants of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Drawn to the research of Sidra Goldman-Mellor, she traveled across the country to join her lab and dedicated her PhD years to projects related to mental health and suicidal behaviors. Her research contributions include papers on child and adolescent suicidal and self-harm behavior, risk factors for hyperthermia mortality, and firearm suicide mortality. Discussing the cultural and structural factors associated with suicidality among African Americans, she highlights how historical trauma, discrimination, and stigma contribute to rising suicide rates.
Now at Kaiser, Carlisha’s focus is on expanding her expertise in qualitative methods, publishing impactful research, and pursuing grants from the NIH and other foundations. Her long-term goal is to support “providers and organizations to address cultural and socioeconomic barriers that may prevent individuals from receiving mental health treatment.”
To incoming graduate students, Carlisha offers invaluable advice: “Establish health and well-being practices, maintain open communication with your advisor regarding any challenges you may encounter, cultivate community and support, and make time for activities that excite you. Achieving a work-life balance is essential for thriving in graduate school.”
