Our Team | Health Equity Institute

The Health Equity Institute is led by a faculty Director in collaboration with a dedicated group of Health Equity Faculty who share their time with home departments across our campus. We are joined by HEI Faculty Scholars supported with research-time, as well as HEI affiliate faculty, a volunteer base of faculty across campus.

HEI runs several scholarship hubs reflecting core areas of research and programming, including a Science, Technology, and Society Hub and new programs in gender and sexuality, and reproduction and society. Hubs are interdisciplinary efforts to build collaboaration, innovate ideas of research and methodologies to work toward health and wellbeing in ways that lead with values of equity and social justice.

An advisory board comprising SF State faculty from across campus guides our work.

HEI Faculty

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Laura Mamo

Professor of Public Health

Director of HEI

Learn More About Dr. Mamo

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Sepideh Modrek

Professor of Economics

Interim Director Fall 2025

Learn More About Dr. Modrek

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Allen LeBlanc

Professor of Sociology

Learn More About Dr. LeBlanc

Valerie Francisco-Menchave

Valerie Francisco-Menchavez

Professor of Sociology

Research and Education on Gender and Sexuality Lead

Learn More About Dr. Francisco-Manchavez

HEI Faculty Scholars & Research Hub Leads

Martha Lincoln, Ph.D.

2025 Faculty Scholar

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Xiaorong Zhang, Ph.D.

2024 Faculty Scholar

HEI Affiliate Faculty

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Teresa Gray, Ph. D.

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Martha Kenney, Ph.D.

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Zena R. Mello, Ph.D.

Supriya Misra

Supriya Misra, Sc.D.

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Zubaida Qamar, Ph.D., R.D.

David Rebanal

David Rebanal, Sc.D.

Emma Sanchez-Vaznaugh

Emma Sanchez-Vaznaugh, Ph.D.

HEI Advisory Board

David I. Anderson, Health and Social Sciences

Carmen R. Domingo, Sciences and Engineering

Anoshua Chaudhuri, Business

Nhung M. Le, Ethnic Studies

Leticia Marquez-Magana, Sciences and Engineering

Johnny Symons, Liberal and Creative Arts