Jen Cruz is a Population Health Sciences doctoral student in the Social and Behavioral Sciences department. She is passionate about the intersections of gender equity, community engagement, and health promotion with a focus on cancer-related disparities. With her background in Psychology and Epidemiology, her research considers both micro and macro-level determinants of health and is conducted through a social justice lens. Through her graduate studies, she plans to further investigate how grassroots community involvement can be leveraged to influence policies and practices that address health disparities in low-resource settings. Jen was raised in Wapato, WA – a small, rural community that continues to inspire her academic work and organizing efforts. She received her BA in Psychology from Seattle University and her MPH in Global Health Epidemiology from the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
