Current Research Projects
California Native Vaccine Confidence Collaborative (CNVCC)
This project is funded by the California State Department of Public Health. Guided by an American Indian Community Advisory Committee, the aims of the Collaborative are to:
- Investigate what factors impact COVID-19 vaccine decision-making among California American Indian (also referred to as Native American/Indigenous) youth and their parents;
- Develop an intervention to increase confidence in the vaccine; and
- Propose ways to indigenize and modify currently used conceptual models of vaccine decision-making for future research and intervention development.
This project is in collaboration with the California Rural Indian Health Board. For more information, please visit the project website: https://www.cnvcc.org/
CONNECT: Social Networks and Health among Indigenous Californians Research Collaborative
The primary aim of this research is to examine the role of social network composition in health-related decision-making amongst Indigenous Peoples (also referred to as American Indian/Alaska Native, Native American) in California, a population that has faced long-standing health inequities and been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
COVID-19 Vaccine Decision Making Among Native American Adults
This project is funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. In collaboration with American Indian organizations, this research examines social and cultural factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine decision-making among American Indian adults both before and during vaccine availability. These projects are in collaboration with the Share, Trust, Organize, and Partner (STOP) COVID-19 CA: The COVID-19 California Alliance, health researchers at UCLA, and the California Rural Indian Health Board.
Next Legends Campaign Research Study
This project is funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products and focuses on e-cigarette use prevention and cessation for Native American youth. This project is in collaboration with RTI International. For more information, please visit: https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/public-health-education-campaigns/next-legends-campaign
Nicotine & Cannabis Policy Center (NCPC)
This project is funded by the California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program. The Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center focuses on tobacco and cannabis policy perceptions and use among rural Californians living in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV). As part of the Center, my research team aims to examine psychological and social factors associated with nicotine product use and health perceptions about cannabis products. Our research focuses on underrepresented populations in the SJV, including Native American and Latino communities.
For more information, please visit the NCPC website at ncpc.ucmerced.edu