We strive to be creative, critical, collaborative, and transformative in our research and scholarship. 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.
The Health Equity Institute accomplishes our work through faculty-led health equity research, the coordination and oversight of research hubs and labs designed to support faculty research, and the explicit training of MA-level students as health equity researchers and scholars.
Research Labs and Hubs
Science, Technology, and Society STS Hub
Research & Education on Gender and Sexuality Hub
Big Data and Health Equity Lab
Past Event: Asian Health Symposium at SFSU 2023
Supriya Misra, Assistant Professor of Public Health, and Zubaida Qamar, Associate Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics, hosted a successful Asian Health Symposium at San Francisco State University on November 8, 2023, supported by the Asian Research Center on Health and the Health Equity Institute. The event brought together a dynamic blend of speakers, students, community members, researchers, and mentors, fostering a collaborative space for knowledge exchange and meaningful connections. The event was well-attended both in-person and virtually on Zoom. The discussions ranged from general well-being to addressing critical mental health challenges unique to the Asian and Asian American community.
A heartfelt thanks to Provost Amy Sueyoshi and Dr. Tung Nguyen, Professor of Medicine and Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism (IDEA) at the University of California, San Francisco, for their remarks. Grace Yoo, Dean of Ethnic Studies, moderated the insightful talks by speakers, Drs. Russell Jeung (co-founder of the STOP AAPI Hate Initiative, one of the TIME 100 Most Influential Persons in 2021 and Professor of Asian American Studies), Valerie Francisco-Mechavez (Assistant Dean for Restorative and Transformative Racial Justice and Associate Professor of Sociology), and Emiko Takagi (Associate Professor of Gerontology). Extending gratitude to the mentors which includes leading Asian health scholars in the Bay Area as well as colleagues from AA&PI Student Services, Health Promotion and Wellness (HPW), and Student Health Services.
Kudos to the dedicated student leaders who organized a wellness space, providing a supportive environment to decompress and connect and elevating the importance of holistic well-being. For a link to the video recording or any other questions, please contact the co-organizers, Zubaida Qamar (qz@sfsu.edu) and Supriya Misra (supriya@sfsu.edu).
Our Goals
- To lead interdisciplinary research and scholarship that provides the knowledge and recommendations to promote health equity
- To foster critical consciousness about the social determinants of health through educational and training activities
- To collaborate with campus organization, faculty, as well as community organizations and governmental agencies to promote health equity research and activities
- Read our Strategic Plan
Our Projects
- Student-Engaged Research
- Health Equity Education
- Faculty and Campus Collaboration
- Community development & Engagement
View our complete list of projects
Our Partners and Selected Funders
- Federal, Foundation and non-profit Funding partners
- SFSU partnerships
- External University partners
- Community partners
View our complete list of partnerships
Our Track Record
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.
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 alums are over fifty students placed in Ph.D. programs, academic and industry positions, and primarily through non-profit and social change organizations. SF State Junior faculty have benefited from grant support, 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 over 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.
