Equity Sciences

The Equity Sciences portfolio is dedicated to advancing health equity, inclusion and social justice in science and healthcare. Our projects work on the development of inclusive mentorship networks to diversify the biomedical workforce, as well as research on culturally affirming pathways for Indigenous scholars and other underrepresented groups in science. The portfolio also addresses healthcare segregation, examining how systemic biases impact patient care. Studies on Alzheimer’s clinical trials aim to increase Latino participation, while projects in end-of-life care explore the ethical implications of using AI-driven mortality prediction algorithms. Internationally, work on adapting a gender norms measure in Uganda seeks to understand how gender influences health outcomes. Together, these projects aim to dismantle structural inequities in healthcare and scientific research, promoting inclusive practices and policies across disciplines.

Projects

Adapting, Validating and Disseminating a Gender Norms Measure, the G-NORM, in Uganda 

This project adapts the G-NORM scale to Uganda, examining how gender norms impact health and validating the scale for broader application in sub-Saharan Africa.

Bridging research and policy to support older adults living alone with pancreatic cancer

This study aims to generate preliminary data to characterize adults living alone with pancreatic cancer in the US
and tailor pancreatic cancer care around their specific needs, informing recommendations for policy and programs.

CARE: Community Action Research for Equity – Understanding care and decision making for Incarcerated Patients

Each year more than 10 million people enter prisons and jails in the US and they are much more likely to be Black or Brown, disabled, queer or trans, and poor than the general population. Thousands of incarcerated patients are hospitalized in community settings annually and care in the hospital often involves shackles, lack of privacy, and correctional staff involvement in decision-making, all of which can limit patient autonomy. This study aims to use multiple methods to generate data on the policy and practice of care, consent, and decision- making for incarcerated patients via participatory action research done in partnership with people who are and have been incarcerated.

Clinical Providers’ Perspectives on the Ethical Implications of Utilizing Mortality Prediction Algorithms in End-of-Life Care 

This qualitative study examines healthcare providers' views on the ethical aspects of using AI-powered mortality prediction algorithms in end-of-life care and their impact on therapeutic relationships. 

Principal Investigator: Anita Ho 

Emancipatory Sciences Lab 

The Emancipatory Sciences Lab aims to highlight the work of scholars and practitioners who advance the rights of marginalized people and subjugated discourses by interrogating power structures, building knowledges of anti-oppression, and encouraging activist-scholar approaches to research, policy and practice. 

Emancipatory Sciences Lab Website

Co-principal Investigators: Jarmin Yeh and Jennifer James  

Ending Tobacco Use and Smoke Exposures among Asian Americans

The goal of this study is to implement a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the new integrated “Healthy Family” curriculum that aims at promoting smoking cessation with integration of thirdhand smoke remediation and family support.

Establishing a Consortium to Leverage Trusted Community-Based Organizations with National Reach to Increase Recruitment of Latinos in Dementia Research 

This multi-site initiative works with community organizations to boost Latino representation in dementia clinical trials, supporting culturally relevant recruitment strategies. 

Healthcare Segregation: Exposing Modern Day Jim Crow 

This research addresses the persistence of healthcare segregation and its impacts on health equity, analyzing systemic biases and proposing strategies for more inclusive healthcare practices. 

HHMI UC Berkeley BioInspired Evaluation 

This evaluation project assesses a STEM course at UC Berkeley aimed at increasing inclusivity and interdisciplinary interest among non-science majors, measuring student attitudes and engagement. 

Improving Breast Cancer Care for Women Living Alone: A Community–Academic Partnership to Enhance Access, Experience, and Thrivorship

This project aims to improve breast cancer care for women who live alone, through interviews with women from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds who live in urban and rural communities to learn about the challenges they face getting a timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment, and what could make their care better.

Inclusive ADRD Clinical Trials: Screening and Enrolling Latino Participants 

This study identifies barriers to Latino participation in Alzheimer’s clinical trials, with the goal of diversifying the participant pool and addressing disparities in Alzheimer’s disease research. 

IUSE Collaborative Research: PROmotion Geoscience Research Education and Success 

Focused on mentoring for women in geosciences, this project provides professional and peer support to enhance retention and success, implementing evidence-based strategies to expand access to STEM mentorship. 

Long-Term Care for Incarcerated Patients with Dementia: Developing a Community-Based Research Agenda 

This project explores the needs of incarcerated dementia patients, creating a community-based research agenda to improve long-term care solutions. 

Preferences for PrEP technologies and implementation features within and across two key populations in Zanzibar: a Discrete Choice Experiment

In collaboration with the Zanzibar Integrated HIV, Hepatitis, TB and Leprosy Programme, we aim to understand preferences for biomedical HIV prevention technologies (e.g., PrEP) among 450 men who have sex with men in Zanzibar, complementing our previous work among FSW. Combined, MSM and FSW constitute the two largest key populations whereby there is a concentrated HIV epidemic (11% HIV prevalence among MSM, 21% among FSW) in Zanzibar, despite a low generalized prevalence (0.4%). 

  • Principal Investigator: Lila Sheira
  • Partners: Zanzibar Integrated HIV, Hepatitis, TB and Leprosy Programme
  • Funders: UCSF Hellman Fellowship

Unmet need for PrEP among sero-discordant partners in the Dominican Republic: Understanding barriers and facilitators to a partner-based PrEP referral program

For people living with HIV, undetectable viral load equates to untransmittable HIV, i.e., interrupts onward transmission of HIV. In our study of individuals with antiretroviral therapy adherence challenges - where many are not virally suppressed - we seek to understand how to develop partner programs for PrEP.

  • Principal Investigator: Lila Sheira, Kartika Palar (Co-I)
  • Partners: Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo; University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Funders: UCSF Bay Area Center for AIDS Research

Scaling Up Culturally Affirming Pathways to Biomedical Faculty Careers for Native Scholars 

This project examines factors that support Indigenous scholars in biomedical careers, providing insights into culturally affirming pathways and scaling existing interventions for broader impact. 

Studying Inclusive Mentor Networks to Diversify the Biomedical Workforce 

This study investigates a social inclusion intervention designed to improve mentorship and integration for diverse faculty and students in biomedical fields, using a longitudinal experimental approach to measure impact.