This project examines how disabled individuals in the United States experience and navigate vaccine access, hesitancy, and trust in medical institutions, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing from an ethnographic methodology, I will collect and analyze narratives from disabled community members to understand their lived realities in healthcare contexts. These perspectives are considered alongside historical instances of systemic mistreatment, such as forced sterilizations, and contemporary disparities in care and access. Through the lens of disability justice, this study engages with scholarly work on medical mistrust, healthcare utilization, and the medical model of disability. Sources such as Hollis et al. (2023) and Verlenden et al. (2022) provide empirical data on COVID-19 vaccination inequities and healthcare access, while Fisher & Goodley (2007) and Rotoli et al. (2022) offer critical frameworks for understanding institutional narratives and historical barriers. This project seeks to uncover how structural ableism shapes medical trust and decision-making among disabled individuals. The findings aim to inform more equitable public health approaches and center disabled voices in policy and care reform.

Green development projects appear to be making positive strides towards building a more sustainable environment in the future. However, critiques of these beautification efforts argue that it is centered on White, able-bodied, middle-class interests contributing to spatial discrimination of the most marginalized communities. This research aims to examine the impacts of ecological gentrification on unhoused, disabled people whose needs are often overlooked when considering changes to the built environment. Through ethnographic research, I studied this population in the overall literature and volunteered in a street medicine setting. The research is ongoing, but based on preliminary findings, there is a correlation between disability and higher rates of housing insecurity compared to the general population. Therefore, it is important to investigate how this intersectional identity can lead to increased vulnerability to environmental issues. Access to space is an ongoing issue for these folks, with the legalization of encampment sweeps and lack of accommodations and disability services in shelters, so it is worthwhile to find the point of interaction between disability, houselessness, and environmental design. There is limited literature that considers all three topics together, so this research will contribute to the ongoing effort to include diversity and equity in environmental design.

Project RISHI UCLA is a student-run nonprofit promoting the sustainable development of rural communities in Tamil Nadu, India. Through partnerships with community stakeholders, the team conducts research and develops interventions to address issues in health, education, and environmental sectors. During Project RISHI’s 2022 field visit, a needs assessment at the Vadamanapakkam Secondary School revealed high rates of juvenile misconduct and vandalism amongst adolescent boys. Yet, the root cause of this behavior was unclear, and the students' perspective of their school community had not been explored. To identify this perspective and students' general attitudes on community issues and civic engagement, a cohort of secondary school students was equipped with cameras and trained in participatory photography through a four-day workshop. Student photographs and workshop discussions revealed that infrastructural damage at the school can be attributed to a combination of vandalism performed by students and the school’s limited resources and administrative burnout. Cycles of administrative punishment and student retaliation deepen a mutual lack of respect, leading students to engage in misconduct as a form of retribution. Students also demonstrated a strong awareness of community issues and a desire to lead meaningful change. These findings now guide Project RISHI UCLA in providing financial support and mentorship for small-scale student-led civic engagement projects in collaboration with the school faculty.

Sex workers in India face persistent marginalization and are disproportionately impacted by HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective at preventing HIV transmission but is not widely implemented in India. Peer navigation has successfully promoted PrEP uptake and adherence in multiple settings. This study examines stakeholder perspectives on the role of peer educators in PrEP implementation with sex workers in India. From August 2023 to February 2024, Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee in Kolkata and Ashodaya Samithi in Mysore, organizations that previously completed PrEP demonstration projects with sex workers, conducted stakeholder interviews with 20 internal stakeholders (e.g., outreach workers) and 23 external stakeholders (e.g., NGOs). Interview transcripts were analyzed using inductive coding. Participants emphasized peer navigation involving communication, health-related services, mitigating stigma, and education (group discussions, flipcharts, external media). Peer-led health-related services such as testing and treatment delivery helped bridge gaps in healthcare access. Peer educators mitigated social challenges, including familial pressures. We document stakeholders’ positive attitudes toward peer navigation for PrEP awareness, uptake, and adherence. By building trust, providing tailored support, and addressing structural barriers and stigma, stakeholders felt that peer educators were key to the success of PrEP implementation interventions. These results may inform future PrEP implementation work.

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected Filipino American (FilAm) healthcare workers (HCWs), who faced higher infection risk due to their overrepresentation in frontline roles and pre-existing health disparities. Like other minoritized groups, FilAms also faced racist rhetoric and inadequate safety measures, increasing their vulnerability. The intersection of these structural risks and social exclusion further widened health disparities in this population. This study examined FilAm HCW experiences during COVID-19 through a cultural lens, understanding how values fostered strength and perpetuated disparities. A qualitative description study rooted in Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino Psychology) and colonial mentality (internalized racism) was conducted. An interview guide used the Colonial Mentality framework and Nadal’s Filipino cultural values: kapwa (“fellow being”), utang na loob (“reciprocal obligation”), hiya (“shame”), and pakikisama (“getting along with others”). The following themes emerged: Connectedness with others (relational strains and strength in kapwa), Filipino identity (healthcare motivations, unity, and caring for others), Pandemic strain and changes (internal conflicts, renewed faith, and new occupations), and Novel challenges (Resource shortages, distrust, and anchored purpose). This study examined how the pandemic shaped FilAm HCWs’ work, relationships, and well-being while emphasizing the need for culturally responsive systems that address the social and cultural realities of minoritized HCWs.