Nancy J. Burke

Professor Nancy J. Burke is a Professor of Public Health and Medical Anthropology at the University of California, Merced, where she serves as Chair of the Department of Public Health within the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts. She holds affiliated faculty positions at the University of California, San Francisco (Department of Anthropology, History and Social Medicine) and is a member of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Burke co-directs the UC-Cuba Academic Initiative and serves on the UC Global Health Institute Board of Directors and the Asian American Research Center on Health.

• Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology, University of New Mexico (2001)
• M.A. in English Literature, University of Oregon (1995)
• B.A. in High Honors, University of Tennessee (1990)

Burke's research program centers on structural vulnerability and health inequities, with dual foci on cancer disparities in U.S. safety-net oncology systems and chronic disease management in Cuba. Her community-engaged ethnographic work examines how social, cultural, and economic factors shape clinical outcomes, particularly for immigrant, low-income, and minority populations. Current projects include studies on cancer navigation, rural California's COVID-19 testing/vaccine access, and youth engagement in tobacco policy development in the San Joaquin Valley.

Her 15 most recent publications reveal a consistent emphasis on safety-net healthcare systems, community-based pandemic responses, and structural determinants of health. Key themes include migrant health (Hmong, Afghan, Latino communities), chronic disease management in resource-limited settings, and decolonizing research partnerships. Methodologically, she integrates mixed-methods approaches to analyze support networks, policy implementation barriers, and community adaptation strategies during public health emergencies.

• Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society (1990)
• NCI-funded Cancer, Culture, and Literacy Institute Fellow (2003)
• NIH Health Disparities Loan Repayment Program (2004-present)
• Zero Breast Cancer Honor Thy Healer Community Researcher Award (2012)

Burke leads the Health Equity Research (HER) group and has secured major NIH, NSF, and tobacco-related grants totaling over $10 million since 2008, including the NIH/NIDA RADxUP project on Asian American COVID-19 testing and the TRDRP Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center. She actively mentors community-based participatory research initiatives with organizations like the Pilipino Senior Resource Center and the Filipino Community Cancer Collaborative. Her work bridges academic research with community implementation through the STOP COVID-19 California Alliance and complex care management clinics in safety-net hospitals.