• D&D Lab team

Principal Investigator

Oanh Meyer, PhD, MASOanh Meyer, Ph.D., M.A.S. – Principal Investigator

Dr. Meyer is Assistant Professor of Neurology. She received her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from UC Davis and completed a postdoctoral fellowship there and at UCSF. Dr. Meyer’s research interests focus on social determinants of health as they affect underrepresented populations, in particular racial/ethnic minorities and older adults. She is currently examining neighborhood effects on health and she plans to continue this unique aspect of research.

Dr. Meyer also is working with her community partners to develop an intervention to help Vietnamese dementia caregivers and their family members. Having been trained as a social psychologist and collaborating with scholars from multiple disciplines (e.g., clinical and community psychology, neuropsychology, epidemiology, sociology, medicine, psychiatry), her research emphasizes the importance of utilizing innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to studying cognitive and mental health. When she is not in front of a computer, she enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and friends.

Current Research Assistants

Thuy Do

Duyen Thi Ky Tran

Duyen is currently a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Davis majoring in Psychology and her career goal is to become a medical doctor. The stigma of dementia and the lack of support networks for dementia caregivers are two issues that she has become interested in researching. She wants to develop public health programs and strategies responsive to the diverse cultural values and traditions of the communities being served. She believes that her involvement with the Diversity and Disparities Lab will not only help her gain more knowledge about factors such as trauma, society, culture, and family relating to Alzheimer's Disease and the effects of caregiving on patients’ health, but that it will also give her a chance to give back to the community around her.

Anna BachAnna Bach

Anna Bach is a recent graduate of University of California, Davis, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity. Understanding how to help community members navigate the health system is a goal for Anna as she pursues a career in medicine. Besides studying everyday, Anna also plays the cello in her spare time and re-reads the Harry Potter series. TEAM HUFFLEPUFF!

Raquel AltoRaquel Alto

Raquel is a recent graduate of UC Davis, with degrees in Political Science and Philosophy, and a minor in Middle Eastern and South Asian studies. After her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she joined the Diversity and Disparities Lab where she has spent her time learning more about the importance of representation and diversity in research. Her time at the lab has inspired her to help spread awareness about Alzheimer’s and help connect caregivers in the Latino community to more resources and information.

Kevin Ta profile photoKevin Ta

Kevin is currently a third-year student at UC Davis majoring in Sociology with a Social Services emphasis. From his experience volunteering at a student-run clinic that serves the underserved Asian population in Sacramento, he has come to see how important cultural context is in the medical arena. He is interested in learning how knowledge of care can be improved by cultural competency. During his free time, he enjoys playing videos and trying new foods.

QuynAnh Dam profile photoQuynhAnh Dam

QuynhAnh is currently a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Global Disease Biology and minoring in Sociocultural Anthropology at UC Davis; she is aspiring to become a medical practitioner in the near future! As she has pursued this aspiration, she has been exposed to many underserved and stigmatized populations that she did not know much about before. To change this lack of knowledge and exposure, she joined the Diversity & Disparities (D&D) Lab! The D&D Lab has provided her the opportunity to learn about various social determinants and their effect on the physical and mental health of underserved communities - allowing her to become a more conscientious and empathetic provider in the future. Through this lab, she has also reconnected with her roots again as through reaching out and advocating for Vietnamese communities. In her free time, you can find her tucked away at a coffee shop reading or out and about trying new foods in town!

Rachel NguyenRachel Nguyen

Rachel is currently a third-year student at UC Davis majoring in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and minoring in Public Health. She has volunteered closely with Hospice for 3 years, where many of the patients suffer from dementia. She has noticed the disparities in dementia care and lack of educational efforts to minimize the gap. As a Vietnamese-American, she has also seen how this minority group (and many others) may not understand Alzheimer’s disease, and may even turn away from any desire to learn. Her understanding of the importance of advocacy has pushed her to destigmatize health problems in the Vietnamese population. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her family, go shopping, and cook new dishes! While her creations can be a hit or miss, the time she spends in the kitchen is stress free and enjoyable. Her favorite dish to make is garlic shrimp pasta, and it’s family-approved!

San Luu profile photoSan Luu

San is a third-year undergraduate student at UC Davis majoring in Psychology and minoring in Neuroscience. She joined the Diversity and Disparities Lab due to her interest in Alzheimer’s disease and its psychological and social impact on patients and their families. San also enjoys learning about health disparities and the social determinants of health. After graduation, she plans on pursuing further education to become a mental health professional for underserved communities.

Former Research Assistants

Cheyanne Barba

Mihoka Fukurai

Victoria Hoang

Hedda Nguyen

Julia Nguyen

Thuy Do

Janis Ho

Pim Limtiaco

Uyen Ngo

Sherry Nguyen

Fiona Sun

Bao Tran

Tiffany Tran