As the maternal mortality rate in the United States increases, it is critical that women and pregnant people are provided the resources to endure the birthing process with minimal complications. Doulas are non-medical, trained professionals responsible for providing continuous support during the stages of pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Doulas center emotional support by ensuring that pregnant people are physically taken care of while having access to informational tools and advocacy in preparation for all birthing scenarios. Doulas have been proven to lower rates of cesarean births and decrease maternal complications. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the pervasive devaluing of doulas’ expertise and contributions in the health sector due to restrictive hospital policies. Despite studies showing the effectiveness of doulas in improving birthing outcomes, less is known about how doulas gain their expertise and training to carry out their role. This research follows an ethnographic, qualitative approach to the study of national and global doula trainings and evaluate their operations. Preliminary findings conclude that doulas are lacking training resources and funding to thrive in their roles. As the number of people seeking to become doulas increases, it is important to understand the landscape characterizing the training and certification of doulas. This research will contribute to ongoing debates within doula communities and different levels of public health organizations around the training and regulation of doulas.

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and ensuing tsunami exposed critical gaps in disaster preparedness, particularly for people with disabilities. This research investigates how emergency response systems in Japan addressed, or failed to address, the unique needs of disabled individuals in the aftermath of the disaster. My sources include scholarly articles, government reports and statistics, and observational data. The scholarly articles and government reports were obtained through a literature review. The observational data will be obtained through a visit to Japan. This research is guided by the disability justice framework and informed by the social model of disability. This research is still in progress, so the findings are not complete yet. However, preliminary findings suggest that while there were attempts at providing equitable services to people with disabilities, they were still disproportionately affected by the disaster. This was due to the lack of inclusion of people with disabilities into everyday society and stigma surrounding disability. This research project aims to inform public policy, advocating for inclusive disaster preparedness frameworks in Japan and beyond.

The medical model of disability defines disability as a physical or psychological condition that limits a person's ability to complete tasks. It has little regard for the social contexts that create barriers for the disabled community. This perspective dominates the medical field and has implications for clinician bias. This ethnographic research will explore the presence of clinician bias in the social environment of pediatric occupational therapy. Observations will be collected at a local outdoor pediatric occupational therapy clinic, Hiller Therapy. It will focus on factors such as attitudes, language use, and regard. In addition, academic literature such as Madsen et al. 2021 and Jain 2020 will be utilized to discuss the ways the medical system constructs these biases. Preliminary results suggest that although clinicians make an active effort to be inclusive, some treatments that are considered "best practice" expose neurodivergent children to microaggressions. To address these concerns, clinics, such as Hiller Therapy, must adapt their training and treatments to be inclusive of everyone and protect the clients that they serve.

War has left an undeniable mark on Southwest Asia—shaping its politics, society, and geography, but more importantly, leaving lasting scars on its people. From the Iranian Revolution to the Syrian Civil War, conflict has displaced families, traumatized soldiers, and stolen childhoods. The mental toll—manifesting as trauma, anxiety, and depression—extends across generations. If we truly want lasting change, we must address not just the physical devastation of war, but the psychological wounds it leaves behind. Only then can we break the cycle and build a future of healing and resilience. Thus one has to consider: to what extent has the mental health of Southwest Asian (Israel/Palestine, Syria, Armenia/Azerbaijan, Iran/Iran, Afghanistan) victims of war and conflict been impacted? By reviewing past scholarly journals, articles, scientific reports, along with conducting personal interviews of first-hand victims of recent wars in these regions, I was able to collect not only profound sets of statistics showcasing the clear connection between state turmoil and onsets of mental health diseases but also gain some captivating anecdotes of those who have developed complications following their exposure to conflict in their respective homeland.

As the aging population in California rapidly increases, so does the demand for long-term supportive services. California is currently home to 7.6 million adults with disabilities, making it essential to understand their lived experiences and gaps in care they face. The California Long Term Services and Support (CA-LTSS) study aims to understand how the current needs of adults with disabilities are being met and to identify barriers and opportunities for accessing essential services. The LTSS study uses a qualitative approach, recruiting participants with assistance from local organizations and conducting ~60 minute long interviews with participants. Preliminary data from the study was analyzed within the subcategory of housing status. Findings highlighted key differences in the experiences of participants with stable or unstable housing. Key themes identified included differences in social relationships, access to in-home care services, housing quality, resilience and mental health. Participants experiencing housing insecurity faced direct challenges as a result of their housing status, such as social isolation, lack of access to services, heightened stress and mental health issues. Participants with secure housing were also challenged by social isolation irrespective of housing status, experienced inaccessible housing, while demonstrating resilience to their circumstances. Overall, the findings of this study can play a significant role informing policy solutions that can improve resources and services for this population.