Lauren Clark, PhD, RN, FAAN

Professor Lauren Clark completed a post-doctoral certificate in Medical Anthropology from the University of Arizona and a fellowship in cultural anthropology methods sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Her research focus on health disparities among diverse and marginalized populations has directed her exploration into child feeding and parenting among Mexican immigrant and Mexican American families, as well as participatory research among disability communities in the areas of nutrition and physical activity. As a qualitative researcher she elicits and analyzes how people come to understand their health and illness situations and act on that understanding.

Research Statement

My research career has explored culture and health disparities. My dissertation study of low-income Mexican American and Anglo mothers was published in Medical Anthropology Quarterly, and later publications have appeared in Social Science and Medicine, Western Journal of Nursing Research, and Journal of Transcultural Nursing. For two decades, I conducted research on Latino health, included federally-funded research on Latino childhood obesity and culturally-competent health systems. Health disparities experienced by diverse populations have led me to my current research interest--community-based populations at-risk for overweight/obesity, particularly people with intellectual disabilities. I'm currently exploring healthy lifestyles and disability using community-based participatory research methods with an interdisciplinary research team using community-based participatory research methods. My research team has worked to address health related quality of life and coducted formative research to launch a new measure of this variable for and with people with intellectual disability.