Susan J. Shaw

My research takes a mixed-methods approach to investigating the structural and contextual factors that produce health disparities. I use community-responsive and participatory research methods to understand the effects of social inequality on health. I seek to contribute to these research findings to community-driven responses to gaps in care and disparities in health status. With colleagues at the University of Arizona and Caring Health Center, I recently completed an NIH-funded R01 intervention study testing the effectiveness of a pharmacist-community health worker partnership to improve medication adherence among low-income, minority patients with hypertension. This intervention builds on and implements findings from our previous research, the RxHL study (1R01HL120907), which investigated the relationships among health literacy, cultural health beliefs, and medication adherence. My research and teaching interests include racial and ethnic health disparities, gender and sexuality, access to health care, and the subjective experience of medication adherence.

As director of the Center for Community Health Equity Research (CCHER), I aim to advance our understanding of health equity, cultivate equitable research partnerships with communities, and contribute to programs that increase the participation of people from underrepresented groups in health professions research and training programs.

Publication List:

• NCBI Bibliography