Mariaelena Gonzalez

Mariaelena Gonzalez is an Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of California Merced within the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts. Her academic work focuses on understanding health disparities and developing evidence-based interventions to improve population health outcomes, particularly among Latino communities in California's Central Valley.

Dr. Gonzalez's research program centers on three interconnected areas: health disparities (with special focus on oral health disparities), tobacco control policy analysis, and generational differences in Latino health behaviors. She investigates how social and environmental factors shape health risk behaviors, examining phenomena like the 'Latino paradox' and 'healthy immigrant effect.' Her work often explores the unintended consequences of public health policies and the connections between different risk behaviors. She has made significant contributions to understanding how smoke-free laws impact different population groups and how health behaviors vary across generations of Latinos.

Analysis of Dr. Gonzalez's recent publication record reveals a strong trajectory of research addressing health equity through multiple lenses. Her work consistently examines how structural factors—including policy environments, social determinants, and environmental conditions—shape health outcomes for vulnerable populations. Recent scholarship has expanded to address pandemic-related health issues, particularly the intersection of smoking behaviors and COVID-19 risk, while maintaining her longstanding focus on tobacco control and health disparities research.

• Certificate of Completion for Writing in the Disciplines Course from UCM CRTE
• Her student Kesia Garibay received the SACNAS Public Health Award for an oral health poster that Dr. Gonzalez co-authored

Dr. Gonzalez actively mentors undergraduate researchers through the Social Determinants of Health Lab, with multiple students publishing research under her guidance. She has secured competitive research funding, including a pilot grant from the Latino Aging Research Resource Center (LARRC) to study oral health disparities in Merced County, which investigates potential connections between oral health status and cognitive impairment among Latinos. She contributed to the 'Economic Burden of Chronic Disease in California' report released by the California Department of Public Health and has served as the Undergraduate Chair of Public Health at UC Merced.

Dr. Gonzalez leads the Social Determinants of Health Lab at UC Merced and maintains active collaborations with the Latino Aging Research Resource Center (LARRC) at UC Davis and the Health Sciences Research Institute (HSRI). Her community-engaged research model involves working closely with the LARRC Latino Health Community Advisory Board to ensure research addresses community priorities and leads to actionable interventions that promote greater levels of oral self-care and hygiene among Latino residents of Merced County.