Arturo Durazo

Pronouns: él, he, him | Dr. Arturo Durazo is a community-engaged health scientist dedicated to increasing health equity among structurally marginalized groups such immigrant people of color, LGBTQ+ communities, and under-resourced populations. His research actively engages collaborate partners, including community citizens and local organizations, to ensure that work is responsive to public we involve. He also leads research in cancer and tobacco control, focusing on developing interventions that are culturally affirming with collaborators. Dr. Durazo serves as the Director of UC Merced’s Nicotine & Cannabis Policy Center and a Principal Investigator on two Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) Smoke & Vape Free Scholars Initiative (SVFSI) training grants in collaboration with CSU at Fresno and Stanislaus. These are integral to developing the next generation of public health leaders. These programs emphasize research training combined with hands-on experiences in public health advocacy. He also serves as the elected co-chair of Out with Big Tobacco: Central Valley, where he champions effective tobacco control policies with a particular focus on the LGBTQ+ communities. Additionally, he serves as an advisor to the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, providing expert guidance on health policies affecting LGBTQ+ individuals. A committed mentor, Dr. Durazo works with undergraduate/graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in public health, behavioral medicine, pre-law, and pre-medicine. His leadership extends to impactful projects like campaigns to end tobacco use among Latine/x and LGBTQ+ people and the development of tailored smoking cessation programs for high-stigma environments.