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CRB Nexus Public Scholars Database

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Welcome to the CRB Nexus: Where Policy Meets Research database of California public researchers. The database aims to further connect legislative, gubernatorial, and agency staff by policy area and keyword to California’s preeminent researchers. We will continuously update entries as California partner-recommended public researchers provide their information to CRB Nexus.

If you are legislative or gubernatorial staff who would like CRB Nexus to connect you with a California public researcher, if you want a to read their publications, or if you want to provide feedback about CRB Nexus, please contact CRB Nexus Project Director Tonya D. Lindsey, Ph.D., or email crb@library.ca.gov.

Members of the public, if you want to access articles or a book by one of the public researchers in the CRB Nexus database, your local library can assist you.

Looking for California grant funding? Check out the California Grants Portal.

For a searchable national database of public scholars check out our CRB Nexus partner Scholars Strategy Network.

Filter By

Institution

Policy Area

69 Items

Abigail Andrews

University of California, San Diego

Policy Areas

Labor & Employment , Human Services

Keywords

Immigration, policing, deportation, gender

Bio

Abigail Andrews is Professor of Urban Studies and Planning, Director of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies and the Mexican Migration Field Research Program, and affiliated faculty in Sociology at the University of California-San Diego. Her work focuses on US immigration enforcement including deportation, the asylum system, and the policing of undocumented immigrants. She does extensive collaboration with immigration advocacy and policy organizations.

Selected Publications

Amy E. Lerman

University of California, Berkeley

Policy Areas

General Government , Health , Public Safety

Keywords

Civic Engagement, Public Safety, Health, Education, Social Services

Bio

Amy E. Lerman is the Michelle Schwartz Chair and Professor of Public Policy and Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. She is also the Executive Director of the Possibility Lab, where she leads a team of researchers and practitioners who collaborate with government and community organizations to design, pilot, and scale data-driven innovation for the public good. Her scholarship can be found in a wide variety of academic journals and several award-winning books, and has been featured in numerous media outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, CNN, and NPR. She consults widely on issues related to civic engagement and trust in government, evidence-based policymaking, access to higher education, criminal justice reform, and law enforcement mental health. In addition to her research, Lerman previously served as a speechwriter and communications consultant for national nonprofits and members of the United States Congress, a community organizer in Latin America and Southeast Asia, and an adjunct faculty member of the college at San Quentin State Prison. In 2023, Lerman was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Selected Publications

Ana Laura Herrera

University of California, Irvine

Policy Areas

Transportation & Infrastructure , Housing , Health , Economy

Keywords

Health Disparities, Equitable Evaluation, Social Determinants of Health, Policy Implementation, Tobacco Control

Bio

Ana Herrera, Ph.D., MPH, is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Health, Society, and Behavior at UC Irvine. As an alum of the CDC Public Health Scholars Program and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Policy Research Scholars Program, she brings a wealth of expertise in public health and policy research. She is a mixed-methods health disparities researcher, with experience working with interdisciplinary government, philanthropic, and non-profit organizations across the nation to understand and examine the impact of complex factors that contribute to inequities in health outcomes among diverse populations. In The Community Health and Innovative Policy Lab, she is focused on policy implementation research with the desired goal that findings will contribute to our understanding of how policy impacts can promote health and reduce inequities. Ana earned her PhD in Health Behavior and Health Education from The University of Texas at Austin and an MPH from the University of Texas School of Public Health. In her spare time, Ana enjoys reading, baking, and traveling the world.

Selected Publications

Anil Makam, MD, MAS

University of California, San Francisco

Policy Areas

Health

Keywords

Hospital, Post-Acute Care, Outcomes, Quality of Care, Epidemiologic Methods

Bio

Anil Makam, MD, MAS, is a hospital medicine physician and a health services and policy researcher. Dr. Makam applies health services research and advanced epidemiological methods using claims data, EHR data, nationally representative cohorts, and prospective observational cohort data to examine health outcomes and health policies. He has been lead or senior author on a number of policy evaluations including quality measures, post-acute care, clinical policies, and medication access among Medicaid recipients. He also serves an Evidence Author consultant for the Institute of Clinical and Economic Review, a leading voice in assessing the value of medical innovations.

Selected Publications

Anthony DiGiorgio

University of California, San Francisco

Policy Areas

Health

Keywords

Medicaid, 340B, Healthcare, Physician Burnout, Artificial Intelligence

Bio

Dr. DiGiorgio stands at the forefront of neurosurgery and health policy, bridging the gap between advanced medical practice and impactful healthcare policies. As a practicing neurosurgeon at the University of California, San Francisco, and a key member of the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, he brings a unique perspective to the table. His affiliation with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University further amplifies his influence in healthcare policy circles. His journey began at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, a cornerstone in safety-net healthcare, shaping his understanding of healthcare disparities. Today, he continues this mission at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, a vital institution for underrepresented communities. Dr. DiGiorgio's academic credentials, including a Master's in Health Administration and a healthcare policy fellowship in the U.S. Senate, equip him with a deep understanding of the healthcare system. His clinical fellowships in neurotrauma and spine surgery enable him to offer exceptional care to a diverse range of patients, underscoring his commitment to equality in healthcare access. His work extends beyond the operating room into the realm of policy and advocacy, focusing on those often overlooked in healthcare discussions. His numerous congressional testimonies and peer-reviewed publications explore the critical intersection of neurosurgical practices, healthcare policy, and patient advocacy, highlighting his dedication to improving healthcare systems, especially for vulnerable populations. As a licensed and board-certified neurosurgeon in California, Dr. DiGiorgio is not just a medical expert but a visionary in healthcare policy, committed to creating a more equitable and effective healthcare system for all.

Selected Publications

Asha Weinstein Agrawal

San José State University; Mineta Transportation Institute

Policy Areas

Environment & Natural Resources , Housing , Transportation & Infrastructure

Keywords

Transportation Taxes/Fees, Sustainable Travel Modes, Travel Behavior, Bicycles and Micromobility, Transportation Policy

Bio

Dr. Asha Weinstein Agrawal is Director of MIT's National Transportation Finance Center at San José State University, where she is also the MTI Education Director and Professor of Urban and Regional Planning. In addition to her research and publishing career, she is Director of SJSU's Graduate Program in Transportation Management, which educates working transportation professionals to prepare them for leadership roles within the industry. Her research agenda, guided by a commitment to the principles of sustainability and equity, explores policy and planning tools that encourage sustainable travel choices and improve accessibility for people without easy access to personal vehicles. Specific topics through which Dr. Agrawal explores these questions include transportation funding policy, travel survey methods, transit passenger safety, and planning for pedestrians, bicycles, and micromobility. Dr. Agrawal is actively involved with service to the professional transportation community. For example, she is a member of the California Transportation Commission's Road User Charge Technical Advisory Committee and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Next Generation Freeways Study Advisory Group. A complete list of her publications.

Selected Publications

Candice Odgers

University of California, Irvine

Policy Areas

Education Pre-K through 12 , Health

Keywords

Digital Technology, Adolescent Mental Health, Childhood Adversity, Social Media, Poverty

Bio

Candice Odgers is a Professor of Psychological Science and Informatics at the University of California Irvine and Co-Director of the Child & Brain Development Program at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. She was previously a Professor of Public Policy at the Sanford School at Duke University. She received her PhD in developmental and quantitative psychology at the University of Virginia and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry at Kings College London. Her research focuses on how early experiences and social inequalities influence child and adolescent development, with an emphasis on how digital technologies can be leveraged to understand and improve the lives of young people. She currently leads a large network of psychologists and computer scientists testing how online platforms and tools can be improved to support and protect young people. She is the author of over 100 scientific publications, appearing in journals such as Nature and the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences and her research has been disseminated widely via outlets such as the Economist, New York Times, London Times, Scientific American, and the Washington Post. More information about her work can be found on adaptlab.org

Selected Publications

  • Adolescent Mental Health in the Digital Age: Facts, Fears and Future Directions. By Candice Odgers, Michaeline Jensen. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 2020.
  • Screen Time, Social Media Use, and Adolescent Development. By Candice L. Odgers, Stephen M. Schueller, Mimi Ito. Annual Review of Developmental Psychology. 2020.
  • Smartphones Are Bad for Some Teens, Not All. By Candice Odgers. Nature. 2018.
  • Challenges to low-income children in an era of increasing income inequality. By Candice L. Odgers, Nancy E. Adler. Child Development Perspectives. 2017.

Charis E. Kubrin

University of California, Irvine

Policy Areas

Public Safety

Keywords

Crime, Violence, Decarceration, Criminal Justice Reform, Immigration

Bio

Charis E. Kubrin is Professor of Criminology, Law & Society and (by courtesy) Sociology. She is also a member of the Council on Criminal Justice, the Racial Democracy, Crime and Justice- Network, the Diversity Scholars Network, the Scholars Strategy Network, The UC Consortium on Social Science and Law, and UCI's Center for Population, Inequality, and Policy. She is an expert for the Crime and Justice Research Alliance. Kubrin's research analyzes neighborhood correlates of crime, with an emphasis on race and violent crime. Recent work examines the immigration-crime nexus across neighborhoods and cities, as well as assesses the impact of criminal justice reform on crime rates. Another line of research explores the intersection of music, culture, and social identity, particularly as it applies to hip hop and youth of color in disadvantaged communities. Professor Kubrin has received several national awards including the Ruth Shonle Cavan Young Scholar Award from the American Society of Criminology (for outstanding scholarly contributions to the discipline of criminology); the Coramae Richey Mann Award from the Division on People of Color and Crime, the American Society of Criminology (for outstanding contributions of scholarship on race/ethnicity, crime, and justice); and the W.E.B. DuBois Award from the Western Society of Criminology (for significant contributions to racial and ethnic issues in the field of criminology). Most recently she received the Paul Tappan Award from the Western Society of Criminology (for outstanding contributions to the field of criminology). In 2019, she was named a Fellow of the American Society of Criminology.

Selected Publications

Christina Mangurian

University of California, San Francisco

Policy Areas

Health , Higher Education , Human Services

Keywords

Promoting Equity in Academic Medicine, Elder Care and Other Informal Care, Childbearing and Family Leave Policies, Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder, Medical Care for People with Serious Mental Illness

Bio

Christina Mangurian, MD, MAS is the Vice Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs in the UCSF School of Medicine and a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a Lynne and Marc Benioff Endowed Chair in Psychiatry. She is also core faculty at the Center for Vulnerable Populations at ZSFG, and affiliate faculty in the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy studies. Dr. Mangurian is a national leader in health services research focusing on improving medical care for people with serious mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia and bipolar disorder). As a Latina physician scientist, she also has first-hand experience understanding the opportunity gaps in academic medicine for historically excluded faculty. She has become nationally recognized for her research and leadership in promoting equity in the academic medicine workforce, publishing her work in high-impact journals like NEJM, JAMA, Nature. Her work has been supported through diverse funding sources, including federal (NIH, NSF, DOD), foundations, county/state contracts, and philanthropy. In addition to being a member of the inaugural John A Watson Scholars, she has received numerous awards including the UCSF Chancellor's award for the Advancement of Women and the UCSF Academic Senate Distinction in Mentoring Award.

Selected Publications

Christopher Towler

California State University, Sacramento

Policy Areas

Higher Education , General Government , Economy

Keywords

Public Opinion, Racial and Ethnic Politics, Urban Politics, Social Movements, Political Ideology

Bio

Dr. Christopher Towler is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at California State University, Sacramento. His research and teaching interests broadly include American politics, race and ethnicity, and methodology. More specifically, his work examines ideological predispositions, alienation, political allegiance and support. Recent projects examine the dynamic relationship between progressive social movements and far-right movements reacting to great social change. He received his Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Washington, Seattle, and holds a B.A. from the University of Colorado. A former McNair and Ralph Bunche scholar, Dr. Towler was also a McNair Graduate Fellow as well as a Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral and Dissertation Fellow. His work has been published in Perspectives on Politics, Journal of Race, Ethnicity and Politics and Du Bois Review. Dr. Towler also directs the Black Voter Project public opinion survey, a national survey project of Black Americans, with results highlighted in Politico Magazine, Washington Post, Time Magazine, USA Today, Seattle Times, and the Atlantic.

Selected Publications