Diane Brown
Biography
Diane Brown, M.P.H., is an Assistant Research Specialist in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. She received her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 2024 and holds an M.B.A. in Health Care Management and Finance from the Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on trauma and patient-reported outcomes among Asian Americans with metastatic cancer, as well as the impact of adverse childhood experiences on health outcomes.
Brown's academic career follows an extensive background in healthcare consulting, where she worked as a consultant, account manager, and vice president at Hewitt Associates/Aon for over two decades. She has collaborated with multiple research laboratories at UC Irvine, including the Adolescent Childhood Experience Lab and the Trauma and Resilience Lab, and has served as a research assistant and medical scribe at CHOC Children's Trauma Emergency Department.
Brown has presented her research at multiple conferences, including the Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting and the American Public Health Association conference. She was named runner-up for Best Trainee by the Society of Behavioral Medicine Palliative Care Special Interest Group in 2025. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics.
Return to topEducation
- BA in Mathematics, Dartmouth College, 1984
- MBA in Health Care Management and Finance, Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania, 1989
- Post Baccalaureate in Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, 2022
- MPH in Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 2024
Distinctions
- Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, 1984
- Best Trainee, Runner Up, Society of Behavioral Medicine Palliative Care SIG, 2025
- Magna Cum Laude, Dartmouth College, 1984
- Research Section Award, Society of Critical Care Medicine Annual Congress, 2025
- Oral Presentation (Selected for Plenary Session), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Symposium, 2024
Areas of Expertise
- Health Disparities in Oncology
- Childhood Trauma and Psychopathology
- Sex Trafficking Victim Disclosure
- Child Maltreatment Emergency Patterns
- Sociocultural Factors in Cancer
- Trauma Effects on Metastatic Patients
- Asian American Health Outcomes
Recent Publications
- Rizwan, Z., Barry, S., Brown, D., & Guppy, K., “The comparison of phenobarbital to benzodiazepines for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in the intensive care unit: A systematic review and meta-analysis. ”, Society of Critical Care Medicine Annual Congress, 2025.
- Dianiska, R., Hardin, K., Brown, D., Lyon, T., & Quas, J., “ Questioning and disclosure of sexually exploited adolescent males in court”, Journal of Human Trafficking, 2025.
- Dianiska, R., Hardin, K., Brown, D., Lyon, T., & Quas, J., “Questioning and disclosure of sexually exploited adolescent males in court”, Journal of Human Trafficking, 2025. Presented at International Investigative Interviewing Group, Virtual, September 2021.
- Brown, D., & Kim, J.H.J., “Prior trauma predicts psychological symptoms in Asian Americans with metastatic cancer”, . Presented at Society of Behavioral Medicine 46th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions, San Francisco, CA. , April 2025.
- Brown, D., & Chow, J. , “ Importance of sociocultural factors for Asian Americans with metastatic cancer”, . Presented at Asian American Research Center on Health 2024 Rising Stars Colloquium, Virtual, November 2024.
- Brown, D., Rood, C., & Quas, J., “Impact of COVID-19 on child maltreatment analyzed through ED visits in a large suburban children’s hospital in California”, . Presented at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Symposium, Boston, MA, May 2024.
- Brown, D., Dang, K., Stevens, S., & Zalta, A. , “Exploring NPY and DHEA as moderators of the relationship between childhood trauma exposure and adult psychopathology”, . Presented at American Public Health Association (APHA), Boston, MA, November 2022.
- Hardin, K., Zavala, B., Llamas, J., Fan, R., Wilkinson, S., & Brown, D, “Questioning and disclosure of sexually exploited adolescent males in court”, . Presented at American Psychology-Law Society, Denver, CO, March 2022.
- Hardin, K., Brown, D., Henderson, H., Lyon, T., & Quas, J., “ Questioning and disclosure in court: A case study comparing sexually abused and commercially exploited adolescents”, . Presented at International Investigative Interviewing Group, Virtual, September 2021.
- Brown, D., Hardin, K., Cerda, F., Rood, C., & Quas, J., “Frontline medical responders’ recognition of youth sex trafficking and questioning: A qualitative analysis”, . Presented at American Psychological Association, Virtual, August 2021.
Most Cited Publications
- Dianiska, R., Hardin, K., Brown, D., Lyon, T., & Quas, J. , “Questioning and disclosure of sexually exploited adolescent males in court.”, Journal of Human Trafficking. , 2025.
This profile was created with the help of AI.
Last updated on 5/27/2026.