We are a campus-wide interdisciplinary team advancing health equity through research, education, and campus and community engagement. We strive to be creative critical, collaborative, and transformative in our work. We uphold San Francisco State University's mission of honoring roots, stimulating intellectual and personal development, promoting equity, and inspiring the courage to lead, create, and innovate.
HEI was founded in 2006 by a dedicated group of cross-campus faculty recognizing a need at SF State to build scholarship, student-training, and community engagement in health equity.
Our Goals
- To lead interdisciplinary research and scholarship that provides the knowledge and recommendations needed to promote health equity
- To foster critical consciousness about the social determinants of health through our educational and training activities
- To collaborate and work in solidarity with campus organization, faculty, as well as community organizations and governmental agencies to promote health equity research and activities
- To work effectively and equitably in a culture of inclusion and teamwork
- Read our Strategic Plan (.pdf) If you need a PDF document reader, visit Adobe.com.
Our Projects
Our Project areas include:
- Student-Engaged Research
- Health Equity Education
- Faculty and Campus Collaboration
- Community development & Engagement
View our complete list of projects.
Our Partners
Our Partnerships and Funders include:
- Federal, Foundation and non-profit Funding partners
- SFSU partnerships
- External University partners
- Community partners
View our complete list of partnerships.
Our Track Record
Through our team-based research projects HEI has offered students, staff, and other faculty opportunities as Co-Investigators, Research Leads, and student-researchers. Our student alumni are over fifty students placed in PhD programs, academic and industry positions, and especially through non-profit and social change organizations. SF State Junior faculty have benefited from grant-support and training and participation as fellows in HEI programs. HEI also focuses on MA-level student training, mentorship, and leadership development. This work is made possible by campus support and the track-record of HEI faculty to receive grants and funding.
HEI has brought over $20 million dollars in research and training funds to the campus.
Documentary Film
In collaboration with the Cinema department, HEI has produced more than 50 short documentaries. These films are student-produced and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Health Equity Institute. Students learn how to blend the art of storytelling with social justice issues. We are seeking funding to rebuild this program that was dissolved in 2018.