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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

35 Items

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

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.

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

Claire D. Brindis

University of California, San Francisco; Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies

Policy Areas

Health , Higher Education

Keywords

Reproductive Health/Access, Adolescent and Young Adult Health, Program Evaluation, Latino/a Health Disparities, Environmental Responses by Healthcare Systems

Bio

Incorporating a variety of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, as well as community participatory research, Dr. Brindis' research focuses on program evaluation and the translation of research into policy at the local, state, and national level. As a bilingual, bi-cultural researcher, her research and personal commitment focus on ameliorating the impact of social, health, and economic disparities among ethnic/racial populations, with a particular focus on women, young adults, and adolescents and reproductive health, as well as Latino/a health. Research interests include assuring the delivery of confidential healthcare in an era of electronic health care records, effective substance abuse treatment strategies for women, and research on the health and mental health needs of Dreamers (DACA). An Elected Member of the National Academy of Medicine, she Chairs the Standing Committee on Reproductive Health, Equity and Society for the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine in Washington, DC, comprised of experts evaluating the health, social, and economic implications of access to reproductive health care in the United States and globally. She is a part of the Advancing the Research Careers of Historically Excluded Faculty (ARCHES) program https://archesprogram.ucsf.edu, and Dr. Brindis currently serves as Senior Advisor to the UC Center on Climate, Health and Equity.

Selected Publications

Dean-David Schillinger MD

University of California, San Francisco

Policy Areas

Health

Keywords

Communication, Health Equity, Public Health, Primary Care, Diabetes

Bio

Dean Schillinger MD is a general internist, primary care physician and a UCSF Professor of Medicine who serves as the Andrew B. Bindman Professor of Primary Care & Health Policy. He is an international research expert in chronic disease-related public health, health communication, dissemination science and health policy. He is most widely recognized for: (1) helping found the field of health literacy; (2) establishing the construct, and demonstrating the value, of 'precision communication' in reducing health disparities; and (3) developing scalable innovative health communications to increase public health literacy around the socio-ecologic model to support policy action and promote health equity. In 2006, he co-founded the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations and currently directs the UCSF Health Communications Research Program. He recently completed a term as Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital and previously served as Chief of the Diabetes Prevention and Control Program for California. He has been awarded numerous federal research grants to develop and evaluate health programs tailored to the literacy and language needs of patients with noncommunicable diseases. He has published over 300 peer-reviewed scientific articles and contributed to methodologic discoveries involving community-engaged research, quasi-experimental studies, natural experiments and evaluations of mass media events and social media campaigns. He co-directs an NIDDK-funded Center for Translational Research called DREAMS (Diabetes Research for Equity through Advanced Multilevel Science). Of Chilean descent, he has extensive experience working with Latinx, Black, and Asian-Pacific Islander populations. He co-created a youth-led diabetes prevention social media campaign called The Bigger Picture, which merges the Arts with Public Health to catalyze social action; the campaign was recognized by the National Academy of Medicine and received WHO's Non-Communicable Disease Lab Award. He recently served as co-chair for a Congressionally charged federal diabetes commission that made transformative recommendations for an all-of-government approach to the epidemic. Dr. Schillinger received the American Public Health Association's Everett M. Rogers Award for lifetime achievement in health communication science. His book, Telltale Hearts: A Public Health Doctor, His Patients, and the Power of Story, was released in July 2024 (PublicAffairs).

Selected Publications

  • See full list of publications linked to scholar's name above.

Denise Diaz Payán

University of California, Irvine

Policy Areas

Health

Keywords

Nutrition, Obesity, Food Security, Tobacco Control, Health Equity

Bio

Dr. Denise D. Payán PhD, MPP is an Associate Professor in the Public Health Program at UC Irvine. She is a health policy researcher who leads the Community Health & Innovative Policy (CHIP) Lab and is Faculty Director of the state-wide research translation center, the California Initiative for Health Equity & Action (Cal-IHEA). Her research expertise includes examining health policymaking and implementation processes and outcomes; evaluating interventions to address obesity and nutrition-related health disparities; and understanding how policy impacts health behavior. Research interests: health policy; obesity; nutrition; food security; state policy; advocacy coalitions; evaluation; implementation

Selected Publications

Desiree R. Delgadillo

University of California, Los Angeles

Policy Areas

Health , Human Services

Keywords

Health Psychology, Brain-Gut Microbiome, Positive Emotion, Stress, Mother-Child

Bio

Dr. Desi Delgadillo is a first-generation college graduate and Postdoctoral Researcher at UCLA's School of Medicine. As a graduate student, Desi earned numerous fellowships and awards including the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship, Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship, Provost PhD Fellowship, Microbiome Initiative Pilot Project Award, and most recently was awarded the President's Postdoctoral Fellowship. As a Health Psychologist, her program of research focuses on the interplay between emotions, stress, close relationships, psychophysiology and the composition of the microbiome in both children and adults. Desi's research aims to reveal mind-gut-microbiome connections that improve quality of life across socioeconomic status, ethnic groups, and health statuses across the lifespan. As an interdisciplinary researcher in a relatively untapped frontier, her goal is to help create a new, integrated understanding of how microbial and psychological systems may work together to mutually perpetuate wellness.

Selected Publications