Our faculty and students are asking big questions about the causes of poor health and the policies, social change, and community resources needed to protect and promote well-being. Our faculty are at the forefront of their subfields, expanding knowledge on issues ranging from the risk factors for suicide to the impact of climate change on maternal health to the inequities that immigrants experience in our health care system. We work with collaborators across the University of California system and other universities, as well as local partners engaged providing services and organizing communities. The foundation of our work is a commitment to contributing knowledge that can advance health equity locally, nationally, and globally.
Research and Impact
Graphic Booklet Illustrates Housing Justice Learnings from the Front Lines
Professor Irene Yen engaged local partners in discussing housing justice issues affecting their communities, including underlying causes and potential solutions. Lessons learned from the project were captured in a graphic booklet that reflects the participatory nature of the project.
Community Partnership Advancing Farmworker Health
De Mis Manos a Su Mesa highlights community-engaged research and advocacy through powerful storytelling, in collaboration with Claudia Corchado of Cultiva Central Valley, UC Merced faculty member Nancy Burke, and Ph.D. student Kesia Garibay.
Nicotine & Cannabis Policy Center building local data infrastructure
The UC Merced Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center (NCPC), directed by Assistant Professor Arturo Durazo with Professor Irene Yen, is extending prior collaborations with health departments and tobacco prevention and control advocates across the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra Foothills. Key initiatives include organizing local data to support community-driven projects and training new investigators to pursue regionally relevant research.
Student Research
Our graduate and undergraduate students are deeply involved in research on campus and in the community. Students receive mentorship from and collaborate with faculty on numerous studies. Our doctoral students are tackling a diverse range of issues that influence physical and mental health - from air pollution to occupational risks to racial inequity. They have published and presented their work in numerous venues. Many of our undergraduate students also pursue independent research with faculty and through our campus’ Undergraduate Research Opportunity Center.
