Denise D. Payán
•Associate Professor of Public Health, Department of Health, Society, & Behavior, University of California, Irvine
•Associate Professor of Public Health, Department of Political Science, UC Irvine
Biography
Denise D. Payán, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Public Health in the Department of Health, Society, and Behavior at the University of California, Irvine, with affiliate appointments in the Department of Political Science and the Department of Chicano/Latino Studies. Her research focuses on health policy and food security, with particular attention to state and local policy processes, nutrition environments, and health equity among Latino and other underserved communities. She received her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management from the University of Southern California's Sol Price School of Public Policy.
Payán is the recipient of a 2026 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award in All Disciplines (Australia), which supported a visiting researcher appointment at the Leeder Centre for Health Policy, Economics and Data at the University of Sydney. She serves as Faculty Director of the California Initiative for Health Equity & Action (Cal-IHEA) and as Principal Investigator of a University of California Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives award totaling nearly $1 million to strengthen health equity and policy research capacity across four UC campuses.
Payán has authored or co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and has secured funding from sources including the National Institutes of Health, the UC Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, and the California Health Care Foundation. She serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics and Health Education & Behavior, and has mentored doctoral students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty across multiple UC campuses.
Return to topEducation
- Ph.D. in Public Policy & Management (Health Policy & Management), University of Southern California, Sol Price School of Public Policy, 2015
- M.P.P. in Health Care Policy, Harvard Kennedy School, 2010
- B.A. in History & Science, Harvard University, 2008
Distinctions
- Fulbright East Asia Pacific Regional Travel Program, 2026
- Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award in All Disciplines (Australia), 2026
- UC Irvine Athalie Clarke Achievement Award for Public Health Research, 2024
- Outstanding Reviewer Recognition Award, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, 2024
- 2021 Best of Pedagogy in Health Promotion Article Collection, 2022
- Health Career Connection's 30 Inspiring & Impactful Alumni, 2020
Areas of Expertise
- Health Policy and Nutrition Equity
- Advocacy Coalition Framework
- Food Insecurity Among Latinos
- Obesity Legislation Surveillance
- Flavored Tobacco Sales Restrictions
- Charitable Food System Environments
- Telehealth Implementation Safety Net
Recent Publications
- Phillips K.K., Dinh E., Almeida I.F., Keller C.B., Payan D.D., “Food pantry organizational features, nutrition environments, and partnerships: a community-engaged study in Southern California” (opens in new tab), BMC Public Health, vol. 26, 2026.
- Herrera A.L., Payan D.D., “Assessing Social Vulnerability and FDA Tobacco Retailer Compliance Inspections and Violations in Los Angeles County, CA (2021–2023)” (opens in new tab), Nicotine and Tobacco Research, vol. 28, pp. 1171-1181, 2026.
- Murillo J, Pulido TR, Loyd AB, Subica AM, Yen IH, Payán DD, “Policy stakeholders' perspectives and use of data, research evidence, and misinformation in three California counties in California, USA during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-2022” (opens in new tab), Preventive Medicine Reports, vol. 54, pp. 103098, 2025.
- Masri S, Nasla S, Payán DD, Wu J, “Assessing dietary consumption of toxicant-laden foods and beverages by age and ethnicity in California: implications for Proposition 65” (opens in new tab), Nutrients, vol. 17, no. 19, pp. 3149, 2025.
- Schneider S, Payán DD, Song AV, Morgan J, Barker LJ, Burke NJ, “Building tobacco control and cannabis policy capacity and partnerships in rural California” (opens in new tab), Health Promotion Practice, vol. 0, no. 0, 2025.
- Itzel G, Enriquez LE, Payán DD, Landry MJ, “Low-income and legally vulnerable: immigration-impacted Latino students' perceived barriers to accessing essential needs resources at a Hispanic Serving Institution” (opens in new tab), Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, vol. 0, no. 0, pp. 1-22, 2025.
- Ruiz R, Payán DD, “Retaining Immigrant Health Coverage in California”, California Initiative for Health Equity & Action (Cal-IHEA), 2025.
- Ruiz R, Castañeda-Castañeda BE, Payán DD, Yen IH, “Community Health Worker Perspectives: Affordable Housing & Mental Health in Merced County, California”, California Initiative for Health Equity & Action (Cal-IHEA), 2025.
- Herrera AL, Chan-Golston AM, Nguyen E, Timberlake D, Payán DD, “Implementation of California's Flavored Tobacco Sales Restriction: Stakeholder Perspectives and Product Availability in Kings County, CA”, Cal-IHEA, 2025.
- Sánchez KD, Díaz Ríos LK, Payán DD, “Nutrition environment gaps and distribution challenges in rural food pantries during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-methods study” (opens in new tab), Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vol. 124, no. 6, pp. 713-724.E4, 2024.
- Payán DD, Chan-Golston A, Garibay KK, Farias C, “Longitudinal surveillance of state obesity legislation in California: 1999-2020” (opens in new tab), BMC Public Health, vol. 24, pp. 3064, 2024.
- Olmos-Rodriguez M, Ruiz R, Payán DD, “Innovative Strategies to Diversify California's Health Workforce”, California Initiative for Health Equity & Action (Cal-IHEA), 2024.
- Philips KK, Payán DD, “Orange County Food Pantry Study: NEFPAT Results”, Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, 2024.
- Olmos-Rodriguez M, Ruiz R, Payán DD, “Affordable Healthcare for All: Research and Policy Insights”, California Initiative for Health Equity & Action (Cal-IHEA), 2024.
- Payán DD, Burke NJ, Persinger J, Martinez J, Jones Barker L, Song AV, “Public support for policies to regulate flavoured tobacco and e-cigarette products in rural California” (opens in new tab), Tobacco Control, vol. 32, no. e1, pp. e125-e129, 2023.
- Goldman-Mellor S, Plancarte V, Perez-Lua F, Payán DD, De Trinidad Young ME, “Mental health among rural Latino immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic” (opens in new tab), SSM - Mental Health, vol. 3, pp. 100177, 2023.
- Faktor K, Payán DD, Ramirez AJ, May FP, “Impact and sustainability of foreign medical aid: A qualitative study with Honduran healthcare providers” (opens in new tab), Annals of Global Health, vol. 89, no. 1, pp. 17, 2023.
- Timberlake DS, Aviles J, Payán DD, “Variation in adults' use of flavored tobacco products by sales restrictions in California jurisdictions” (opens in new tab), International Journal of Drug Policy, vol. 116, pp. 104041, 2023.
- Frehn JL, Li JN, Liu KR, Payán DD, Rodriguez HP, “Implementation of a universal screening and follow-up care system for pediatric developmental and behavioral health in federally qualified health center sites” (opens in new tab), Families, Systems, & Health, vol. 41, pp. 1-13, 2023.
- Celeste-Villalvir A, Payán DD, Armenta G, Palar K, Then-Paulino A, Acevedo R, Fulcar MA, Derose KP, “Exploring gender differences in HIV-related stigma and social support in a low-resource setting: A qualitative study in the Dominican Republic” (opens in new tab), PLOS ONE, vol. 18, no. 8, pp. e0290228, 2023.
Most Cited Publications
- Payán DD, Frehn JL, Garcia L, Tierney AA, Rodriguez HP, “Telemedicine implementation and use in community health centers during COVID-19: Clinic personnel and patient perspectives” (opens in new tab), SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, vol. 2, pp. 100054, 2022.
- Payán DD, Sloane DC, Illum J, Farris T, Lewis LB, “Perceived barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and school lunch meals among adolescents: A qualitative study” (opens in new tab), American Journal of Health Behavior, vol. 41, no. 5, pp. 661-669, 2017.
- Flórez KR, Payán DD, Palar K, Williams MV, Katic B, Derose KP, “Church-based interventions to address obesity among African Americans and Latinos in the United States: A systematic review” (opens in new tab), Nutrition Reviews, vol. 78, no. 4, pp. 304-322, 2019.
- Payán DD, Sloane DC, Illum J, Lewis LB, “Intrapersonal and environmental barriers to physical activity among Blacks and Latinos” (opens in new tab), Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, vol. 51, no. 4, pp. 478-485, 2019.
- Derose KP, Payán DD, Fulcar MA, Terrero S, Acevedo R, Farías H, Palar K, “Factors contributing to food insecurity among women living with HIV in the Dominican Republic: A qualitative study” (opens in new tab), PloS One, vol. 12, no. 7, pp. e0181568, 2017.
- Lowery B, Sloane D, Payán D, Illum J, Lewis L, “Do farmers' markets increase access to healthy foods for all communities? Comparing markets in 24 neighborhoods in Los Angeles” (opens in new tab), Journal of the American Planning Association (JAPA), vol. 82, no. 3, pp. 252-266, 2016.
- Tierney AA, Payán DD, Brown TT, Aguilera A, Shortell SM, Rodriguez HP, “Telehealth use, care continuity, and quality: Diabetes and hypertension care in Community Health Centers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic” (opens in new tab), Medical Care, vol. 61, no. Suppl 1, pp. S62-S69, 2023.
- Payán DD, Lewis LB, Cousineau MR, Nichol MB, “Advocacy coalitions involved in California's menu labeling policy debate: Exploring coalition structure, policy beliefs, resources, and strategies” (opens in new tab), Social Science and Medicine, vol. 177, pp. 78-86, 2017.
- Payán DD, Rios KD, Ramírez AS, De Trinidad Young M-E, “Structural barriers influencing food insecurity, malnutrition, and health among Latinas during and after COVID-19: Considerations and recommendations” (opens in new tab), Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vol. 121, no. 5, pp. 837-843, 2021.
- Payán DD, Brown P, Song AV, “County-level recreational marijuana policies and local policy changes in Colorado and Washington States (2012-2019)” (opens in new tab), Milbank Quarterly, vol. 99, no. 4, pp. 1132-1161, 2021.
Contact Information
Website: https://ddpayan.publichealth.uci.edu/
Email: dpayan@uci.edu
Phone: (562) 201-8397
Address: 3080 Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences
Return to topThis profile was created with the help of AI.
Last updated on 8/18/2026.