What is your academic background and current affiliation?
I received my BA in History and Cultural Anthropology from Duke University and my MA in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago. I recently graduated with my PhD from the Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences (Rollins School of Public Health) at Emory University. Currently, I am an NCI T32 postdoctoral fellow in Cancer Prevention & Control at Northwestern University.
What are your current research interests?
My research program addresses two interrelated themes: 1) examining social and structural determinants of health, with an emphasis on cancer prevention and control among Asian Americans, immigrants, and refugees; and 2) leveraging dissemination and implementation science and community-based participatory research to develop, implement, and sustain evidence-based health interventions in underserved communities or low-resource settings.
What excites you about your research field?
I moved from Vietnam to the U.S. during my teenage years and experienced first-hand what it meant to be an immigrant in the U.S. and to assume the “Asian American” identity. My research therefore means a lot to me personally. In addition, much of my research is community-engaged, and I enjoy spending time in the field working with communities and building relationships and connections with community-based organizations to advance health equity.
What are two important take-home points from your research?
The first point has to do with the diversity of the category of “Asian Americans.” Asian Americans are actually extraordinarily heterogeneous, representing people from over 30 countries and speaking over 100 languages/dialects, with diverse immigration histories, socioeconomic status, religious/cultural beliefs, and social norms. This fact points to the need for disaggregated data by subgroups to understand their unique patterns of healthcare utilization, health behaviors and outcomes, as well as social determinants of health. Too often, variations across subgroups and any disparities are masked when researchers present aggregated data instead of breaking them down. This leads to the myth that Asian Americans do not experience poor health and therefore do not merit further research and studies.
The second point has to do with the complex interplay between cultural beliefs and norms and structural inequalities. Again, too often I have seen health disparities experienced by Asian Americans explained away by attributes that have to do with individual-level cultural practices. While culture is an important factor that influences health, we also have to recognize the role of social and structural conditions. For example, we should ask, among Asian subgroups, how do different migration circumstances lead to different socioeconomic patterns or living conditions that affect their health?
How does you work support community priorities and health equity?
Throughout my career, I have been deeply committed to creating and strengthening academic-community partnerships to co-develop, implement, and sustain solutions for health equity. I firmly believe that to achieve effective and sustainable implementation of evidence-based interventions, particularly in underserved populations, the sociocultural and historical contexts of health disparities must be actively acknowledged and community stakeholders need to be at the forefront and integrated throughout the research process. My approach has been to engage community partners equally, co-develop research strategies iteratively, and co-validate research findings. To the extent possible, I also engage community partners in scientific manuscript publishing
How did you identify your mentor?
Nearing the end of my PhD, I was looking for a postdoctoral mentor with a research program focusing on community engagement and implementation science to address the health of Asian Americans and migrant populations. I was introduced to Dr. Namratha Kandula and realized that her research expertise was a perfect match with what I was looking for. Through working together with Dr. Kandula, I have learnt a lot about approaches to build relationships with community organizations and health systems to implement research programs promoting healthy behaviors and outcomes in underserved communities.
What is the most valuable piece of advice you have received from a mentor?
I have been fortunate to have several mentors who are very kind and compassionate and know how to maintain a great work-life balance. These are not necessarily “pieces of advice,” but seeing them as “models” exemplifying these qualities has been very important to me.
What are key tips and tricks to maintaining "mentor-mentee" relationships from your experience?
In my opinion, the number one important ingredient of a great mentor-mentee relationship is clear and open communication, which includes being on the same page about the level of commitment and timeline for each project and giving each other honest and respectful feedback. I also think learning about each other’s work style and making adjustments to work plans when necessary is critical.
What is your favorite thing to do when you are not working?
I love traveling, hiking, discovering good podcasts, and reading. I also enjoy training my dog to do agility and dog tricks.