Elena Yu

Dr. Elena Yu is Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at San Diego State University's Graduate School of Public Health. She holds MPH and PhD degrees from Columbia University and University of Notre Dame respectively, with research focusing on health disparities among minority populations.

Her primary research examines epidemiology methods, minority health disparities, psychosocial epidemiology, and cancer epidemiology through NIH-funded projects. Recent work explores smoking behaviors in Asian American communities and cancer screening disparities.

Publications demonstrate consistent focus on ethnic health disparities, methodological rigor in epidemiological studies, and translational research to address healthcare inequities across 100+ peer-reviewed articles.

Awards and Honors

• Most Outstanding Alumna Award for Community Service
• National Research Service Award (NIA)
• Golden Apple Best Teaching Award
• NIH Shannon Award

Dr. Yu mentors graduate students in epidemiology methods and has secured numerous NIH grants supporting her research program on Asian American health disparities.