Jennifer Felner

Jennifer Felner, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science at San Diego State University (SDSU) within the College of Health and Human Services. Her work focuses on health equity, LGBTQ+ health, homelessness, and participatory action research. She holds a primary email at jfelner@sdsu.edu and is based at SDSU's main campus in San Diego, CA.

Dr. Felner’s research addresses intersectional disparities in public health, including housing insecurity, substance use, and sanitation access. Her projects often involve marginalized communities such as LGBTQ+ individuals, youth experiencing homelessness, and racial/ethnic minorities. She employs mixed-methods approaches, combining quantitative epidemiological analyses with qualitative community-engaged methods.

Her recent work examines systemic barriers to health equity, such as inadequate public restroom access in San Diego and housing disparities among adolescents. She collaborates with community organizations on participatory action research (PAR) initiatives like the Greater Lawndale Healthy Work Project, emphasizing community voices in policy development. Her studies often highlight how structural factors (e.g., policy failures, stigma) exacerbate health inequities.

Notably, Dr. Felner’s articles address hepatitis A outbreak communication, menthol cigarette policies impacting Black smokers, and HIV prevention challenges among sexual minority men. Her research consistently advocates for evidence-based interventions that center community needs and dismantle systemic inequities.