A. Susana Ramirez

Dr. A. Susana Ramirez serves as Associate Professor of Public Health Communication at the University of California, Merced within the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts. During the 2019-20 academic year, she held a Visiting Professor position at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City through University of California Education Abroad Programs.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania
• Master of Public Health from Harvard University
• Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Santa Clara University

Dr. Ramirez's research program advances communication science to improve population health with strong emphasis on social justice. She investigates how public information environments influence health behaviors and develops communication strategies to reduce health disparities. Her work bridges theoretical communication frameworks with practical public health applications, particularly focusing on marginalized communities.

Her scholarly contributions appear in leading journals including Social Science & Medicine, Patient Education & Counseling, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, and Journal of Health Communication, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach spanning communication science and public health domains.

Dr. Ramirez has secured substantial research funding exceeding $13.5 million from prestigious sources including the National Cancer Institute, National Institute for Minority Health & Health Disparities, National Institute on Aging, U.S. Agency for International Development, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, demonstrating the significance of her work in addressing critical public health challenges.