FOCUS
In her work, Jenna hopes to highlight pathways to mitigate and prevent negative health outcomes in minority communities. While her clinical experiences will allow her to impact lives at the individual and community level, she believes research and policy can generate population-wide effects. Examining racial disparities in health outcomes, including differences in health literacy, health behaviors, and healthcare accessibility, is integral to prioritizing the well-being of underserved populations. Jenna plans to study self-reported measurements of health and health conceptualization in conjunction with objective metrics of physical and mental health. In doing so, she intends for her research to contribute to the dialogue around the importance of mental health in its connection to physical health, and how those two elements may look different for people of varying backgrounds.
MORE ABOUT JENNA
As a first-generation student from a rural community, Jenna has firsthand knowledge of the importance of understanding structural systems and having access to the resources that would allow for their successful navigation. She believes HPRS will provide her with the skills needed to convey knowledge and solutions across a multitude of contexts.
