Linda Gallo

Linda Gallo is a Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University (SDSU), affiliated with the College of Sciences and the Department of Psychology. She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Utah (1998), with a focus on Health Psychology. Her research centers on psychosocial and sociocultural factors influencing cardio-metabolic conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes, particularly in Hispanic/Latino populations.

Dr. Gallo has served as Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-Investigator on over 20 NIH grants and has published over 170 peer-reviewed articles. She is a key figure in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), co-leading the San Diego Field Center since 2018 and spearheading ancillary studies like the SOL CASAS Study on neighborhood environments and cardiometabolic risk.

Her work emphasizes culturally tailored interventions to address health inequities. Notable awards include the 2016 Monty Award for Outstanding Faculty Contributions and recognition as the 2015 Most Influential Professor in the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program.

Research highlights include examining the impact of socioeconomic status, acculturation, and stress on health outcomes. Her recent studies explore brain aging, gut microbiome associations with SES, and the role of genetic ancestry in health disparities.

Grants and collaborations span topics like diabetes management, neurocognitive aging (SOL-INCA study), and community-based interventions. She advises numerous graduate students and mentors postdoctoral researchers, contributing to training the next generation of health scientists.

Dr. Gallo’s research also extends to sleep patterns, cardiovascular kidney metabolic syndrome, and the long-term effects of childhood socioeconomic conditions on health across the lifespan.