2024 Scholars
Natalie L. Wilson, PhD, DNP, MPH APRN-BC School of Nursing, Department of Community Health Systems
Proposal Title: Mapping Culturally Tailored Practices for Health Outcomes for People Everywhere (HOPE) Mobile Services
Abstract: Mobile Health Clinics (MHC) improve access to care by removing traditional barriers (e.g. transportation, safety, stigma), and providing direct tailored services that have flexibility to adapt based on the target population. African American people experiencing homelessness (AA-PEH) face multiple intersectional vulnerabilities and are amongst the most heavily impacted by HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STI), and hepatitis C (HCV). Ending the HIV Epidemic goals will be unattainable if we do not tailor intervention strategies to reach marginalized populations. There is a gap in developing and tailoring culturally relevant clinical operating protocols to deliver a structural “test and treat” intervention of outreach, and HIV testing, prevention, and treatment. The overall objective of this Population Health and Health Equity is to collaborate with other US and global mobile clinics focused on providing population-based culturally relevant care to identify and adapt sustainable strategies for care delivery tailored to marginalized populations for HIV testing and care continuum.
About Dr. Wilson: Dr. Wilson’s research is informed by almost 30 years of clinical expertise in primary care, HIV, and sexual health. As part of the Ending the HIV Epidemic National Strategy, Dr. Wilson's research is focused on developing innovative solutions to address the constraints marginalized populations and those from disadvantaged socioeconomic environments have in accessing the HIV Status Neutral Care Continuum. She uses community engagement and mixed-methods implementation science methods to transform healthcare by building in health equity at the individual, system, and community levels.
Jessica de Leon, MD, School of Medicine, Department of Neurology
Proposal Title: Longitudinal analysis of the Cognitive Assessment for Tagalog Speakers (CATS) batter
Abstract: Filipino Americans comprise the 2nd largest Asian American population in California, and a previous study found that they have the highest dementia incidence rate among Asian American subgroups. We recently designed the Cognitive Assessment for Tagalog Speakers (CATS) to detect cognitive deficits in Filipino Americans with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. The proposed study will analyze longitudinal data to better understand how scores are related to cultural and linguistic factors and/or early signs of neurodegenerative disease. Results will provide preliminary data for future studies that validate and norm the CATS battery in larger cohorts.
About Dr. de Leon: Dr. de Leon is an assistant professor of neurology at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center (MAC), where she focuses on the care of patients with neurodegenerative disease. She leads MAC outreach efforts to the Filipino American community, with the goal of providing culturally and linguistically tailored education on brain health. Her current research focuses on the role of bilingualism in cognitive and brain reserve, the development of socioculturally tailored cognitive measures for Tagalog and Spanish speakers, and cross-linguistic studies in neurodegenerative disease.
Jill Goslinga, MD, MPH, School of Medicine, Department of Neurology
Proposal Title: Air Quality Effects on Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (AIRPALS)
Abstract: ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with genetic and environmental causes. Air pollution increases disease risk, yet the impact on disease progression is unknown. Low-income and minority populations often suffer from poor air quality, and air pollution may contribute to ALS health disparities. This retrospective cohort study will explore the relationship between ALS participants’ exposure to outdoor air pollution (PM2.5) and rate of functional decline (ALSFRS- R). I will study the relationship between annual PM2.5 levels and rate of functional decline among ALS participants, adjusting for confounders. Then, to address residual geographic confounding (e.g., inequitable health care access in Fresno versus Marin), I will also harness the “natural experiment” of seasonal wildfires to compare functional decline before and during prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke. Finally, I will study the relationship between air pollution and patient demographics to understand the PM2.5 burden on vulnerable populations.
About Dr. Goslinga: Dr. Goslinga grew up on a farm near Milaca, Minnesota and studied biochemistry (BS) at the University of Minnesota. She then attended Harvard Medical School where she also earned a Master's of Public Health (MPH) in Health Policy. Finally, she completed her neurology residency and neuromuscular/EMG fellowship at UCSF before joining the neurology faculty. Her research interests include environmental epidemiology, geographic health equity, and ALS clinical trials. She also teaches fellows, residents, and medical students, and she is a mentor for First Generation medical students.
Daisy León-Martínez, MD, School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
Proposal Title: Risk factors for prenatal cardio-metabolic disease in Medicaid-eligible pregnant people, rethinking the paradigm: A randomized comparative-effectiveness trial to investigate the efficacy of Glow! group prenatal care compared to enhanced individual prenatal care on incidence of prenatal cardio–metabolic disease in Medicaid-eligible pregnant people.
Abstract: Prenatal cardio–metabolic disease disproportionately affects people who identify as Black or Latinx and individuals of lower socioeconomic status. This condition is associated with preterm birth, neonatal intensive care admissions, and maternal mortality, thus contributing to disparities in maternal–fetal outcomes. Importantly, existing literature falls short of explaining the observed inequity. I propose a secondary analysis of the PCORI-funded EMBRACE study (NCT04154423) led by Miriam Kuppermann, PhD, MPH. My project aims to investigate the suspected role of socioeconomic factors, racism, and models of healthcare delivery in producing elevated rates of prenatal cardio–metabolic disease among minoritized populations and to determine whether group prenatal care may mitigate their effects.
About Dr. León-Martínez: Daisy León-Martínez, MD is Assistant Professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. Her research interests include prenatal cardiometabolic disease (i.e., hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and gestational diabetes), healthcare equity in obstetric care, especially as it relates to those with limited health literacy and non-English primary language, and racism in medicine. She is currently completing a Masters in Applied Sciences (MAS) in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UCSF. Ultimately, she aims to develop a research program focused on promoting broad adoption, adaptation, and maintenance of health-related interventions that yield measurably improved outcomes for underserved obstetric patients.