Hyeyoung Oh Nelson

Hyeyoung Oh Nelson serves as an Assistant Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Public Health at the University of Colorado Denver, within the Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Her expertise lies in medical sociology, qualitative research methods, and the study of race and ethnicity in healthcare contexts.

She holds the following academic credentials:

• Ph.D. in Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles (2014)
• M.A. in Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles (2009)
• B.A. in Sociology, Princeton University (2005)

Dr. Nelson's research program investigates the intersections of medical professions, healthcare organizations, and patient-provider dynamics, with a critical lens on racial and ethnic disparities. Utilizing qualitative methodologies, she examines how structural inequities manifest in healthcare settings, particularly in maternal health and the experiences of minority populations. Her current projects delve into the complexities of maternal healthcare in the United States and the racialized dimensions of healthcare encounters.

Her publications reveal a consistent focus on systemic tensions within healthcare, including provider burnout, financial constraints, legal risks, and the impact of individualism on patient experiences. Through sociological analysis of topics ranging from birth trauma to physician-patient negotiations, her work bridges medical sociology and public health to address equity gaps and professional transformations in healthcare delivery.