Principal Investigator
Oanh Meyer, Ph.D., M.A.S. | Principal Investigator
Oanh Meyer, Ph.D., M.A.S., is Associate Professor of Neurology. She received her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of California, Davis and completed a postdoctoral fellowship there and at the University of California, San Francisco. 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. Meyer is also examining how early life expediencies affect dementia risk in older Vietnamese Americans.
"It is critical for our community to be able to recognize health problems and be able to access quality care."
- Oanh Meyer, Ph.D., M.A.S., describing the goals of her team
Current Research Staff
Uyen Vu, Ph.D.
Uyen Vu, Ph.D. Vu is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Diversity and Disparities Lab, where her research focuses on resilience and cognitive aging of the Vietnamese population, particularly those affected by war-related trauma. Holding a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, her academic journey was initially supported by the Ford Foundation's International Fellowships Program. Vu's highlighted works include the validation of the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale in a Vietnamese contexts and her doctoral dissertation on resilience among Vietnamese young adults. Currently involved in the Vietnamese Insights into Cognitive Aging Program in the lab of Oanh Meyer, Ph.D., Vu continues to explore the intersections of aging, cognition, and resilience. Her interest also extends to studying positive psychological outcomes, such as a sense of purpose in life, in older adults from various cultural backgrounds.
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Sierra Heuer
Sierra recently graduated from the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in psychology and a minor in Education. They are currently a Junior Specialist in the Diversity and Disparities Lab and works on coordinating several research projects including the Care Partner Study, the Vietnamese Familial Experiences Study, the Neighborhood Segregation and Longitudinal Change in Brain Health Measures Study, and more. Their research interests are changes in cognition and their effects on interpersonal relationships as well as the effects of interpersonal communication, discrimination, and trauma on decision-making and cognition. They hope to one day become a professor in Psychology and love to learn. They are very passionate about research in trauma and health disparities, and strive to contribute to research that can benefit marginalized communities and provide accessible education to people who need it. For fun, Sierra likes playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends, drawing, and painting.
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Tina Duong
Tina is a recent graduate at the University of California, Davis, with a Bachelor of Science in Global Disease Biology. With the help of Oanh Meyer, Ph.D., she is looking into the effects of intergenerational trauma and resilience in the Vietnamese community. As an aspiring physician, she dreams of one day making an impact by helping refugee communities mentally, physically, and spiritually. She is a passionate advocate for mental health, advocate against domestic violence, and strongly believes in the potential of One Health. Tina enjoys coaching track/field/lifting and playing with her dogs in her free time.
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Bao Ngoc (Gemma) Le
Bao Ngoc (Gemma) is a recent graduate of the University of California, Davis with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She joined the Diversity and Disparities Lab due to her interest in studying the effects of discrimination, segregation and trauma on neurological health and quality of life in underserved communities. In her free time, she enjoys listening to classical music, drawing and harvesting produce at the Student Farm. In the future, she aspires to become a healthcare professional and use what she learns to improve the quality of care for the underserved population.
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Boi san Nguyen
Boi san Nguyen is a recent graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, holding a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology. In her pursuit of becoming a holistic and empathetic physician, she is engaged in research aimed at understanding the social determinants influencing individual health. For fun, Boi san enjoys hiking, pen pal-ing, and spending quality time with her nieces!
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Stephanie Huynh
Stephanie Huynh recently graduated from the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering. Throughout her undergraduate years, she learned briefly about the types of disparities some groups face as well as the different types of brain disorders some individuals may be affected with. She decided to join the Diversity and Disparities lab to further broaden her knowledge of disparities and brain health along with how they may impact each other. During her free time, she loves to try new restaurants and to watch new shows or movies!
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Briana Dominguez
Briana is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Davis double majoring in Psychology and Chicana/o Studies. She joined the Diversity and Disparities Lab to expand her understanding of the systemic barriers that lead to health disparities in communities. Her research focuses on the effects of migration and assimilation, aiming to explore how these experiences influence mental health, cultural identity, and systemic inequities at the individual level. She is passionate about integrating cultural humility into future research and clinical practices aimed at promoting well-being for diverse communities. In her free time, she enjoys surrounding herself in nature and collecting vintage vinyl records.
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Jason Pham
Jason is a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of California, Davis majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. As a pre-med student, he has both a passion and a strong interest in research that can improve a patient's quality of life. Joining the Diversity and Disparities Lab, which focuses on dementia caregiving and geographic disparities in old adults' mental health, provides him a unique opportunity to broaden his knowledge and skills regarding mental health disorders. Jason’s previous internship experiences at Sutter Davis Hospital and UC Davis Health, in addition to volunteer work at Kaiser Permanente, motivated him to contribute and involve himself further in medical research that can make a positive and profound impact on human life. In his free time, he enjoys table tennis and gaming. Going to the gym, swimming, and taking care of his younger siblings are also more of his favorite pastimes.
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Hanh Nguyen
Hanh graduated from the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. She is currently working full-time as a social worker for Sacramento County. She has 3 years of experience working with people with disabilities and mental illness, especially elders with Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Hanh joined Diversity and Disparities Lab as she is interested in learning valuable skills in research and is committed to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities, especially people from her community - Vietnamese people. Fun fact: Hanh has 4 cats and a dog, loves snowboarding, and listens to a wide range of music.
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Former Research Assistants and Staff
San Tuyet Luu
Duyen Tran
Krystal Phuong Thuy Nguyen
Anna Bach
Raquel Alto
Kevin Ta
QuynhAnh Dam
Rachel Nguyen
Cheyanne Barba
Mihoka Fukurai
Victoria Hoang |
Hedda Nguyen
Julia Nguyen
Janis Ho
Pim Limtiaco
Uyen Ngo
Sherry Nguyen
Fiona Sun
Bao Tran
Tiffany Tran
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