Carmen Gutierrez

Carmen Gutierrez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Policy and a Faculty Fellow at the Carolina Population Center, both at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her work sits at the intersection of public policy, sociology, and population health, with a strong focus on how structural and institutional racism shape health disparities in the United States.

Her research centers on the impact of the criminal legal and immigration systems on the health of marginalized communities, particularly Black and Brown populations. Drawing from social demography, critical race theory, and feminist geography, Dr. Gutierrez investigates how policies produce racialized health inequities through mechanisms like surveillance, legal violence, and biopolitical control. She has conducted nationally representative studies, including analyses of community supervision among Latina women using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

Dr. Gutierrez's publications appear in leading journals such as American Sociological Review, American Journal of Public Health, and Criminology & Public Policy. Her work reveals trends in the health consequences of systemic oppression, especially at the intersection of race, gender, and legal status. These studies highlight the need for structural reforms in both criminal justice and immigration policy.

Scientific Awards and Funding:

• National Science Foundation
• National Institutes of Health
• Russell Sage Foundation

Dr. Gutierrez has received major research grants that support her investigation into the social determinants of health. These grants enable large-scale data analysis and interdisciplinary collaboration. While formal advisees are not listed, her role as a faculty fellow and assistant professor suggests active mentorship within the graduate and research community.

She is affiliated with the Carolina Population Center, a hub for interdisciplinary demographic and health research, where she contributes to collaborative projects on population-level health disparities and policy impacts.