Public Health Students Present Research at Health Equity Symposium

Graduate students from the University of New Haven’s Master of Public Health program recently presented research at the hosted by the University of Connecticut. The symposium brought together students, faculty, and professionals committed to advancing health equity and addressing the social and structural factors that shape health outcomes.

At the symposium I presented my poster, Centering Community Voice to Advance Health Equity: Survey and Photovoice Findings from a Community Health Needs Assessment in West Haven, Connecticut. My work focused on a central question: how can public health efforts better reflect the real needs of the community?

Through a survey completed by 499 residents and complementary photovoice methods, I explored unmet health and social needs while emphasizing the importance of lived experience in shaping public health interventions. One of the most important takeaways from this work is that community members should not only be seen as participants, but as collaborators. Centering their voices is essential for creating sustainable, community-driven change.

My journey to this work has been shaped by my MPH training and my involvement in the WeEmbody (WE) Lab under the mentorship of Alvin Tran, Sc.D., MPH, associate professor and chair of the Department of Population Health and Leadership. Through this experience, I contributed to a broader community health-needs assessment and later developed a lessons-learned framework that guided my poster.

Presenting at the symposium strengthened my ability to communicate qualitative research clearly and engage with diverse audiences. I had the opportunity to speak with attendees, including Dr. Jeffrey Hines, a gynecologic oncologist and the inaugural chief diversity officer for UConn Health and the University of Connecticut, whose feedback helped me think more critically about how this work can inform future community-centered solutions.

As I prepare to graduate this May, I plan to continue applying community-engaged approaches that integrate data, lived experience, and health equity in my future public health work.

I had the opportunity to present my research, Sociodemographic Differences in Self-Reported Sleep Quality Among Sexual Minority Men: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, at the same symposium. My study examined how factors such as BMI, employment status, and cigarette use may influence sleep quality within sexual-minority populations.

Sleep is essential to overall health, yet disparities in sleep often reflect broader inequities. Through this research, I aimed to better understand how social and demographic factors contribute to these differences and how findings like these can help guide interventions for underserved communities.

My interest in health equity developed through coursework on public health and the social determinants of health. Mentorship through the WeEmbody Lab allowed me to explore how disparities manifest in measurable health outcomes and to engage more deeply in this work.

Presenting at the University of Connecticut increased my confidence in sharing scientific findings and deepened my commitment to evidence-based solutions that advance health equity. Moving forward, I plan to continue refining this project, pursue opportunities for publication, and further explore research on social determinants of health.

We are both incredibly grateful to our mentor Dr. Alvin Tran, our co-authors, and our peers in the WeEmbody Lab for their guidance and support throughout this process. We also thank the University of New Haven and the Office for Inclusion and Civil Rights at the University of Connecticut for creating opportunities that allow students to engage in this work.

This experience reinforced our shared commitment to advancing health equity through research, collaboration, and community engagement. As we continue our journeys in public health, we carry forward the lessons learned from this experience and a deepened dedication to creating meaningful, evidence-based change.