Selena Nguyen-Rodriguez

Dr. Selena Nguyen-Rodriguez is a tenured Professor of Health Science at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), specializing in health equity and minority health. Her work integrates psychosocial approaches to address health disparities among underrepresented communities, particularly Latino populations. She earned her Ph.D. in Preventive Medicine from the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, with an MPH in Biostatistics and Epidemiology. Dr. Nguyen-Rodriguez leads the Healthy Balance Research Lab (HBRL), focusing on holistic health interventions targeting obesity prevention and sleep health in Latino youth. Key projects include the MIMIS initiative, examining multilevel influences on sleep in pre-adolescents, and the SANOS Y FUERTES program addressing family-based obesity prevention. She has been recognized with the Early Academic Career Excellence Award (2015) and PRIDE Scholar designation (2015–2016).

Her research emphasizes transdisciplinary methods, exploring psychosocial and cultural factors affecting health behaviors like diet, sleep, and physical activity. Courses taught include Advanced Community Health Statistics and Research Methods, with a focus on preparing students for public health careers through experiential learning. Dr. Nguyen-Rodriguez actively engages in community partnerships, such as the Comprando Rico y Sano initiative to improve Latino nutrition access, and advocates for diversity in biomedical fields through programs like the BUILD Research Training Program.

• Education: Ph.D. in Preventive Medicine, USC Keck School of Medicine; MPH in Biostatistics/Epidemiology
• Labs/Teams: Healthy Balance Research Lab (HBRL)
• Key Projects: MIMIS (sleep in Latino youth), SANOS Y FUERTES (obesity prevention), Salud a la Vida (HIV/Hepatitis C prevention)

Her teaching philosophy prioritizes hands-on research experiences, mentoring underrepresented students in health disparities research. Grants and collaborations focus on culturally congruent interventions to reduce health inequities, leveraging community health workers (promotores) and interprofessional teams.