Project Title: A Multilevel Social Capital Approach to Address Cervical Cancer Screening and Follow Up Delays among Latinas in Safety-Net Settings
Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Institution: University of Southern California
Funding NIH Institution/Center: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
Grant ID: K99MD019292
Samantha Garcia is a first-generation Mexican American scholar born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Samantha’s commitment to health disparities research has been heavily influenced by personal experiences with healthcare systems. With the ambition to remediate inequities within her community, she pursued a BA in Public Policy from the University of California, Riverside, an MPH in Community Health Education from California State University, Northridge, and a PhD in Public Health from the University of California, Irvine. As a postdoctoral fellow, she is extending her training in multilevel research to evaluate healthcare delivery and evidence-based practices aimed at reducing cancer health disparities. The focus of her research is to improve cancer care delivery among Latinas disproportionately affected by cervical cancer. Dr. Garcia enjoys mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds and supports initiatives and programs that enhance diversity, equity and inclusion in academia.