Julie S. Armin

Julie S. Armin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, with a secondary appointment as Assistant Professor of Practice in Health Promotion Sciences. She also serves as the Director of the Health Disparities Curriculum for the College of Medicine. As a medical anthropologist with a PhD from the University of Arizona (2015), Dr. Armin focuses on improving healthcare access and reducing health disparities for historically marginalized populations through community-based methodologies.

Dr. Armin's educational background includes:

• PhD in Anthropology (Sociocultural/Medical) from the University of Arizona (2015)
• MA in Anthropology from San Francisco State University (2006)

Her research program centers on addressing gaps in cancer prevention and treatment for populations marginalized due to race, social class, immigration status, and disability. Dr. Armin employs qualitative, multi-method, and community-based approaches to examine how cancer care is affected by structural factors and to develop interventions that improve access to care. Her current work emphasizes advance care planning among English and Spanish-speaking people living with cancer and their providers, and access to cancer care for people with disabilities.

Dr. Armin's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on health disparities, particularly at the intersection of disability and race/ethnicity in cancer care. Her work frequently addresses the experiences of Native American women with intellectual and developmental disabilities, barriers to cervical cancer screening, and the development of culturally adapted interventions. She has published extensively in medical anthropology, oncology, and public health journals, with recent work examining AI in cancer control through a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion lens.

Among her professional achievements:

• University of Arizona Cancer Center Full Membership (Fall 2024)
• Building Research Capacity Fellowship ADFM (Fall 2023)

Dr. Armin is actively involved in several significant research projects including "Improving Shared Decision-Making about Cancer Screening Among American Indian Women Experiencing Intellectual Disabilities" (as co-PI), and "Improving Advance Care Planning through Better Care Coordination" funded by the American Academy of Family Physicians. She also serves as a Co-Investigator on projects addressing tobacco cessation interventions and expanding patient-centered cancer care for underserved populations in Southern Arizona.

Her teaching portfolio includes courses on health disparities, histories of health inequity, disability perspectives, and directed research experiences focusing on cancer care for marginalized populations. Dr. Armin is committed to integrating structural competence into medical education and training future healthcare providers to address health inequities.