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We Investigate Social Factors Influencing Health and Well-Being The Housing, Opportunity and Place (HOPe) Lab is a research group at the University of California, Merced investigating key social factors affecting health and health inequities in California's Central Valley, the heart of California.

Rebecca Martinez (she/her/ella) was a Staff Researcher at UC Merced's HOPe Lab. She earned her BA in Public Health from UC Merced in 2021 and her MPH in Health Policy and Services from the University of Southern California in 2024. Born and raised in California's Central Valley, Rebecca has a deep...

Kimberly Montanez graduated from UC Merced in May 2024 with a bachelor's degree in public health. She will now be participating in a year-long internship with the National Health Corps as an outreach and enrollment coordinator with Livingston Community Health. Kimberly is a Central Valley local and...