Research Theme in Health Equity & Translational Social Science (HETSS)

OUR VISION

To create Equity-Centered Patient Care models, in concert with research that centers social sciences, humanities, and community collaboration.

Existing biomedical care systems do not address social determinants of health. In many cases, they construct structural barriers to health. HETSS exists to transform healthcare knowledge and practice.

CREATE KNOWLEDGE FOR
HEALTH EQUITY

Establish social sciences and humanities as essential to the study of health equity, and make equity a focus for all health research at UCLA.

CULTIVATE COLLABORATIONS

Build an engaged community of social scientists, humanities scholars, clinicians, and community partners to produce knowledge about the mechanisms of health equity.

BUILD NEW MODELS

Develop evidence for Equity-Centered Patient Care Models, leveraging the social sciences and community lived experiences to address the social/structural determinants of health.

Event Spotlights

HETSS is launching a Seminar Series co-sponsored by the Rangell Social Medicine Grand Rounds Series. These Zoom webinars are free, but registration is required. Please see below for more information regarding our upcoming events.

Structural Racism

May 7, 2021
12:30pm - 2:00pm PDT

Event Topic: Dr. Nanibaa' Garrison & Dr. Terence Keel present based on their own scholarship. Followed by remarks from Dr. Keith Norris and then Q&A.
Watch the recording now →

Black & Asian Relations in America

June 25, 2021
1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Event Topic: Dr. Alyssa Newman & Dr. KyeYoung Park will present based on their own scholarship. Followed by remarks from Dr. Carlos Oronce and then Q&A.
Watch the recording now →

SEE WEBINAR SERIES

Full Calendar of Events related to Health Equity & Social Science Medicine

Spotlights and Newsletters

Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Enrico Castillo

Dr. Enrico Castillo is a public psychiatrist, a health services/health policy researcher, and an associate residency program director with a dual affiliation with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences.

LEARN MORE

HETSS Newsletter

Check out our monthly newsletters!

SIGNUP FOR UPDATES

From the Research Theme Leadership

“American medicine spends the most per capita of any nation, but has the worst health outcomes in the industrialized world. We can change that by investing in sociomedical sciences.”
- Helena Hansen, MD, PhD

“As a trauma surgeon, I know that homicide is the number one killer of young black boys and men. Structural racism is the root of the problem. We need to address the social determinants of health in our community by integrating social care into the fabric of our medical system.”
- Rochelle Dicker, MD

MEET THE TEAM

Life of Impact

Our community is made up of amazing, strong, and talented leaders who care deeply and work to impact our world for good.