Paula Healani Palmer

Professor Paula Healani Palmer is affiliated with Claremont Graduate University's School of Community & Global Health. Her work focuses on social and cultural determinants of health, community-based participatory research (CBPR), and health disparities among underrepresented populations, particularly Pacific Islanders and South Asians.

Education:

• PhD in Clinical Health and Community Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology

Palmer's research spans tobacco control, mental health, maternal and child health, disaster management, and genetic research engagement in indigenous communities. She has conducted cross-cultural studies in China and the U.S., examining obesity trends, tobacco use, and technological interventions for health behaviors.

Her recent publications highlight global health challenges, including tobacco's metabolic impacts in China, CBPR approaches to cancer disparities, and technology-driven health interventions. She also co-authored book chapters on Pacific Islander health in multicultural contexts.

Palmer actively develops smoking cessation programs for Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders using Facebook apps and cell phones through the NCI Community Network Programs. She has designed educational materials on biobanking and biospecimen collection for Pacific Islander populations.

Teaching roles include courses on global public health emergencies, maternal/child health, interdisciplinary global health foundations, ethics in international programs, and cultural diversity in public health.