Sela V Panapasa

Sela V Panapasa serves as an Associate Research Scientist at the Research Center for Group Dynamics within the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Her work focuses on socio-demographic change and its impact on health outcomes across the lifecourse of island populations, with extensive fieldwork in Pacific Islander communities.

Her research program centers on family demography, race and ethnicity, health disparities measurement, and cross-cultural comparative studies. Early work examined intergenerational exchanges and living arrangements among aging Pacific Islanders, while current projects establish baselines to eliminate health disparities among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the United States through NIH-funded initiatives. She also evaluates health data quality in U.S. Territories in collaboration with the Department of Interior.

Analysis of her 2003-2019 publications reveals consistent focus on Pacific Islander health through multiple lenses: dietary patterns and cultural influences on nutrition, obesity impacts, mortality trends, and methodological innovations for hard-to-survey populations. Her work demonstrates strong emphasis on community-based participatory research approaches and the intersection of cultural identity with health outcomes.

Dr. Panapasa directs multiple federally funded projects including NCI/NCMHD initiatives addressing health disparities among Pacific Islanders and Department of Interior contracts improving health data systems in U.S. Territories. Her research has secured continuous funding from national institutes focused on minority health and health equity.

She maintains active affiliation with the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the Institute for Social Research, contributing to its mission of advancing understanding of group processes and social dynamics through interdisciplinary health research.