Dr. Leia Belt, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts (SSHA) Department of Sociology since January 2024. She holds an interdisciplinary PhD specializing...

Brenda Castañeda-Castañeda is a Staff Research Associate in Dr. Yen’s Housing, Opportunity, and Place (HOPe) Lab within the Department of Public Health. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Public...

Rafael Lomeli is a 2025 graduate of UC Merced, earning a bachelor's degree in Public Health with a minor in Psychology. Originally from Tracy, California, he enjoys listening to music, playing guitar...

Ana Quintana-Ceja is an undergraduate Sociology and Economics student. She is a native of Merced, where she has been involved in various community organizations since high school. Ana has an interest...

Irene Yen is the principal investigator and director of the HOPe Lab. She received her B.A. from Stanford University and her MPH and PhD from UC Berkeley. She is a social epidemiologist, a public...