Sonya Emi Gabrielian

Sonya Emi Gabrielian is an HS Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine. Her academic work is deeply integrated with the Veterans Affairs healthcare system, where she conducts significant research on homelessness among veterans and related healthcare delivery issues.

Dr. Gabrielian's research focuses on veteran homelessness, permanent supportive housing, mental health services for vulnerable populations, healthcare disparities, and implementation science. Her work examines community integration for homeless-experienced adults with serious mental illness, racial and ethnic disparities in housing outcomes, vocational rehabilitation services, and the impact of telehealth on care quality for veterans. She investigates how chronic pain, substance use, and primary care experiences intersect with homelessness, with particular attention to vulnerable subpopulations.

Analysis of Dr. Gabrielian's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on implementation science within veteran healthcare systems, particularly regarding permanent supportive housing programs. Her work demonstrates consistent attention to health equity issues, with numerous studies examining racial and ethnic disparities in housing outcomes and healthcare access. The research portfolio shows increasing integration of technology, particularly mobile health approaches, to understand and address homelessness dynamics. Much of her work takes a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative analysis of healthcare utilization with qualitative insights into patient experiences.

Dr. Gabrielian serves as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on multiple significant research grants from the Department of Veterans Affairs and NIH, including the LEARN Evidence-Based Policy Evaluation Center (2022-2027), Implementing and Sustaining Critical Time Intervention (2021-2025), and Capturing the Dynamics of Homelessness Through Ethnography and Mobile Technology (2020-2023). Her research consistently addresses critical gaps in understanding how to improve housing outcomes and healthcare delivery for homeless veterans, with particular attention to vulnerable subpopulations including those with serious mental illness and substance use disorders.