We are a campus-wide interdisciplinary team advancing health equity through research, education, 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.
History: 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.
Track-record: As a leading RSO on campus, HEI has brought over $20 million dollars in research and training funds to the campus. Through our team-based research projects HEI has offered students, staff, and other faculty opportunities as Co-Investigators, Research Leads, and student-researchers. 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.
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 raining activities
- To collaborate and work in solidarity with community organizations and governmental agencies promoting health equity
- 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:
- Research
- Education
- Community development & Engagement
View our complete list of projects.
Our Partners
Our Partnerships include:
- Federal, Foundation and non-profit Funding partners
- SFSU partnerships
- External University partners
- Community partners
View our complete list of partnerships.
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.