Joy Agner

Joy Agner is an Assistant Professor of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. She holds a PhD in community and cultural psychology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a master’s in occupational science and therapy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her work focuses on health equity for underserved populations through community-engaged research, including evaluations of Medicaid systems and peer support networks. She directs the Health Equity Action Lab (HEAL) and utilizes mixed-methods approaches like Photovoice and social network analysis.

Education:

• PhD, Community and Cultural Psychology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
• Master’s, Occupational Science and Therapy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Research Interests: Dr. Agner advances health equity through culturally-informed models, particularly for racial minorities like Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Her work examines care coordination, mental health Clubhouses, and structural empowerment in medical systems. She emphasizes collaboration with community partners across all research phases to ensure meaningful impact.

Awards:

• Rehabilitation Research Career Development K12 Scholar
• Fulbright Scholar
• Ford Family Foundation Scholar

Advising/Grants: A first-generation college graduate from Oregon, Dr. Agner emphasizes mentorship and collaboration. Her postdoctoral work evaluated Hawaiʻi’s Medicaid system (MedQUEST) and continues through her affiliation with the University of Hawaiʻi Social Science Research Institute.

Labs/Teams: Director of the Health Equity Action Lab (HEAL), fostering collaborative research to improve health systems for marginalized communities.