Research Vision and Agenda

My research program addresses a critical gap in our understanding of hearing healthcare in the United States. As both a licensed clinical audiologist and public health researcher, I bring a unique interdisciplinary perspective to investigating how structural, geographic, and policy-level barriers limit access to audiological care for historically marginalized populations. My work primarily applies social ecological frameworks and geospatial methods to examine the complex interactions between community-level socioeconomic factors, state-level policies, and the spatial distribution of hearing healthcare providers.

Current Research Program

My dissertation research investigates the social and policy factors influencing spatial accessibility of hearing healthcare providers in the contiguous United States. This work is organized around three complementary aims that employ mixed-methods approaches.

Through qualitative interviews with audiologists who have relocated between states, I am examining the decision-making processes that lead hearing healthcare providers to choose specific geographic locations for practice. This research will illuminate how professional, personal, and policy considerations shape the hearing healthcare workforce distribution and contribute to geographic disparities in access to care.

Using geospatial analysis methods, I am evaluating how community-level socioeconomic status and urbanicity predict spatial accessibility to both audiologists and hearing instrument specialists across all census tracts in the contiguous United States. This longitudinal analysis (2017-2024) will reveal temporal trends in hearing healthcare accessibility and identify communities most underserved by current provider distribution patterns.

I am also assessing how state-level policies, particularly those related to reproductive healthcare and LGBTQ+ inclusion, influence the geographic distribution of hearing healthcare providers. Given that the audiology workforce is predominantly female and that women show stronger preferences for inclusive policies, this research addresses an understudied mechanism through which seemingly unrelated policies may affect healthcare access in specific clinical disciplines.

Research Impact and Implications

This research program has significant implications for multiple stakeholders. For policymakers, my findings will clarify how state-level policies in areas beyond healthcare directly impact access to essential health services, providing evidence for policy decisions that consider downstream effects on healthcare workforce distribution. For healthcare administrators, understanding provider siting preferences can inform recruitment strategies and incentive programs designed to improve healthcare accessibility in underserved areas. For communities, identifying geographic and socioeconomic disparities in hearing healthcare access will highlight populations that could benefit most from alternative service delivery models, such as telehealth or mobile audiology clinics. For the discipline of audiology, this work contributes to audiology's growing engagement with health equity issues and provides empirical evidence to support advocacy efforts for improved hearing healthcare access.

Research Trajectory and Future Directions

Building on my dissertation work, my future research agenda will expand in three key directions.

International and Comparative Research

My experience conducting research in Thailand (supported by NIH T37 NIMHD funding) demonstrated the value of international comparisons for understanding healthcare accessibility. I plan to continue projects collaborating with international researchers such as my hearing aid design research, providing insights applicable to improving access in the United States.

Intervention Development and Evaluation

Understanding barriers to care is essential, but insufficient. I will develop and evaluate interventions designed to improve hearing healthcare access in underserved communities. These may include alternative service delivery models, training programs to increase workforce diversity, and policy advocacy initiatives informed by empirical evidence.

Expanding Health Equity Research

My work on trauma-informed care, culturally responsive practice, and inclusive healthcare for LGBTQ+ populations and other marginalized groups will continue. I am particularly interested in examining how provider training and clinical protocols can be modified to reduce barriers to care for populations that have historically experienced discrimination or inadequate care in healthcare settings.

Integration with Teaching and Mentorship

My research naturally integrates with teaching in speech, language, and hearing programs. I am prepared to teach courses in hearing science and audiological assessment, healthcare policy and health systems, research methods, including both quantitative, geospatial, and qualitative approaches, professional issues, including cultural responsiveness and health equity in clinical practice, and anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing.

Additionally, my research program offers numerous opportunities for student involvement. Undergraduate students can contribute to data collection, literature reviews, and preliminary analyses. Graduate students can develop independent projects examining specific aspects of healthcare accessibility, gain experience with advanced analytical methods including GIS and spatial statistics, and contribute to manuscript preparation for peer-reviewed publication.

I am committed to mentoring students from diverse backgrounds, particularly those from communities underrepresented in communication sciences and disorders. My four years as a mentor in the UC Irvine LGBTQ+ Mentor Program have reinforced my understanding that effective mentorship requires intentional efforts to create inclusive environments where all students can thrive.

Methodological Expertise

My research employs diverse methodological approaches:

·       Geospatial analysis: GIS mapping, spatial statistics, drive-time calculations, and measures of spatial accessibility

·       Quantitative methods: Regression analysis, time series analysis, generalized estimating equations, and large-scale data analysis

·       Qualitative methods: Semi-structured interviews, thematic analysis, and mixed-methods integration

·       Policy analysis: Systematic tracking and coding of state-level legislation and its health impacts

This methodological breadth enables me to approach complex research questions from multiple angles and trains students in diverse analytical skills applicable across research contexts.

Collaborative Approach

My research benefits from collaboration with experts across disciplines. My dissertation committee includes specialists in health policy, neurobiology of hearing, geographic information systems, and health economics. I am committed to continuing interdisciplinary collaborations that bring diverse perspectives to understanding and addressing health disparities. I welcome opportunities to collaborate with faculty across departments, contribute to team-taught courses, and participate in research centers or initiatives focused on health equity, disability studies, or healthcare access.