Photo taken during cervical pre-cancer expanded education programming. Faces have been blurred for privacy (2024)
Global Health & Biomarker Innovation
HPV genotyping and cervical cancer prevention strategies among HIV-positive women in Bali
In collaboration with the University of Alabama - Birmingham and Warmadewa University, this study investigated how behavioral, demographic, and clinical factors—including novel exposures like recreational drug use and sex work status—shaped the development of HPV-related cervical pre-cancer among HIV-positive women in Bali.
Through surveys of 200 participants and multivariate regression analyses, the project identified underexamined predictors of cervical abnormalities and translated findings into culturally specific recommendations for education, screening, and vaccine strategies.
This project was made possible through the Minority Health Research Training Program by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD).
Narrative & Racialization in Public Health
Asian American comedy as counterstory in the COVID era
In collaboration with Dr. Sophie To, this project explored how Asian American comedians in the American South mobilize humor as a tool of resistance against racialization and health inequities intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through oral histories and content analysis, the study highlights comedy’s role as a narrative strategy for reclaiming identity and reshaping public health discourse.
Findings were presented at the 2024 American Public Health Association’s Conference in Minneapolis, MN.
Justice & Healthcare Equity
Barriers to care among formerly incarcerated individuals in North Carolina
Using community-based participatory research and photovoice, this study examines the systemic and individual challenges justice-involved individuals face in accessing healthcare. Findings amplify lived experiences of housing insecurity, mental health struggles, and job precarity, and inform equity-centered recommendations for local policy and community health initiatives in Orange County.
Initial findings were reported to the Orange County Board of Health in 2025.
Queer Aging & Health Systems Change
Developing care metrics for transgender and gender diverse older adults
In partnership with healthcare stakeholders at the University of Kansas Nursing School and UCLA, this project co-develops inclusive health metrics to improve care systems for transgender and gender diverse older adults. By combining focus groups, thematic analyses, and systems frameworks, the research advances gender-affirming, age-inclusive models of care that address structural gaps in existing health services.
Findings were co-presented with Dr. Teri Kennedy at the 2022 Gerontological Society of America’s Annual Conference.
Asian American Mental Health & Racial Socialization
COVID-19 stressors, racial socialization, and mental health outcomes among Asian American youth
This honors thesis examines how Asian American young adults in the Midwest experienced racial socialization in relation to COVID-19 stressors and mental health outcomes. Using surveys and moderation analyses, the study illuminates how identity, discrimination, and family narratives shape psychological resilience and vulnerability during times of crisis.
Findings were presented at the 2025 Association for Asian American Study’s Annual Conference.
Pedagogy, Film, & Sexual Health Equity
Developing film-based curricula for intersectional sexual and reproductive health education
The FOCAL project at the Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities designed and piloted a film-based pedagogy to enhance sexual and reproductive health education through intersectionality. By engaging faculty and students across multiple disciplines, the project created curricular models that deepen cultural consciousness and expand how health education can address disparities in diverse learning environments.
This project was made possible through University of Michigan’s Future Public Health Leaders Program (FPHLP).