Hee-Jin Jun

Dr. Hee-Jin Jun is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science at San Diego State University’s Graduate School of Public Health. She holds affiliations with the Institute for Behavioral and Community Health (IBACH) and the Center for Research on Sexuality and Sexual Health. Her research focuses on social epidemiology, health disparities, and the impact of social determinants like violence, stress, and structural stigma on health outcomes, particularly among LGBTQ+ populations, military personnel, and women.

Education:

• Sc.D., Social Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2002)
• M.P.H., Medical Sociology, Seoul National University (1993)
• B.A., Sociology, Ewha Woman’s University (1983)

Research Interests: Dr. Jun investigates disparities in chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, obesity), substance use disorders, mental health, and the role of minority stress and violence exposure. She leads projects on LGBTQ+ health, military health, and public health interventions to address disparities. Her work emphasizes translational research and community engagement.

Grants and Projects:

• Mitigating ethnic disparities in chronic spine pain management (NIH R01, 2023-2028)
• Social determinants of military personnel’s mental health (DOD, 2024-2026)
• LGBTQ+ adolescent smoking prevention (TRDRP T32, 2022-2024)

Awards: Recipient of Harvard School of Public Health and Seoul National University scholarships.

Labs/Teams: Core investigator at SDSU’s HealthLINK Center for Transdisciplinary Health Disparities Research and affiliated with the Institute for Behavioral and Community Health.