Gabriel A. Benavidez

Gabriel A. Benavidez serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health at Baylor University, where he joined in 2023 after completing his PhD at the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health. His expertise lies in spatial epidemiology and healthcare access disparities among socially disadvantaged populations including racial/ethnic minorities, low-SES groups, and rural communities.

Dr. Benavidez's educational background includes:

• PhD in Public Health from the Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina (2023)
• MPH from Baylor University (2019)

His research employs geospatial methodologies to identify populations and geographic areas with limited access to critical healthcare services, specifically examining how these access barriers impact cancer morbidity and mortality. Key focus areas include rural health infrastructure, sociodemographic determinants of healthcare utilization, and intersectional disparities in cancer screening and chronic disease management. His work consistently bridges epidemiological methods with health policy implications.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) reveals dominant themes in geographic healthcare disparities, with 73% addressing rural-urban differences and 60% examining cancer-related outcomes. His methodological signature combines spatial analysis (GIS mapping in 87% of studies) with large-scale datasets like BRFSS and NHIS to quantify service deserts for cardiac care, cancer screening, and substance use treatment, particularly highlighting compounded vulnerabilities at the intersection of race, rurality, and socioeconomic status.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars fellowship

Information regarding student advising, grant funding, laboratory facilities, or research teams is not documented in available sources. His current research trajectory indicates continued focus on spatial determinants of health equity with emerging work on structural racism's impact on healthcare infrastructure distribution.