Current Research
1. An intersectional examination of early tobacco use
This project aims to identify the risk and protective factors of tobacco product use and identify differences between White and Black adolescents that may explain diminished gains from standard tobacco control practices among Black people. This project is funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (R21MD016473-01A1, PI: Espinosa).
2. A life course model of alcohol, tobacco and substance use
Projects in this area employ a life-course perspective for understanding antecedents and moderators of alcohol, tobacco, and substance use among Hispanic and Black individuals. This perspective incorporates the role of childhood maltreatment, discrimination, trauma, and other social determinants of health and health behaviors, while considering the protective effect of ethnic identity and emotional resilience and while being sensitive to differences by biological sex, education, immigrant generation and SES.
3. Health literacy, health consciousness, trust, and health behaviors
Projects in this area explore health literacy, health awareness and trust in healthcare and in science as key antecedents to health-promoting behaviors, including medical adherence and COVID-19 preventive behaviors, among minoritized populations.
4. Understanding disparities in cancer risk, cancer treatment, and cancer-preventive behaviors
This multi-level research program aims to identify salient factors that explain cancer-related outcomes among Black, Hispanic, and Asian populations. Projects in this area are funded by the U54 CCNY-MSK collaborative.