John Billimek

Biography

John Billimek, Ph.D., is Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. He also holds an appointment as Associate Professor (Without Salary) in the Department of Chicano/Latino Studies. Billimek received a Ph.D. in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine in 2007.

Billimek's research focuses on health disparities in chronic disease management, particularly among Latino populations with diabetes and hypertension. His work examines how socioeconomic factors, neighborhood conditions, and medication beliefs affect treatment adherence and health outcomes. As principal investigator of the NIH-funded "Mi Propio Camino (My Own Way)" study, he developed interventions to address negative beliefs about medication among Hispanic adults with hypertension. He has published over 75 peer-reviewed articles in journals including Annals of Internal Medicine, Diabetes Care, and Medical Care, with research spanning medication adherence, food insecurity, and community-based health interventions.

Billimek serves as Director of Research for the Department of Family Medicine and directs The HELIOS Lab, an undergraduate research program in health services and health disparities. He is Faculty Co-Director of the UC PRIME Prehealth Pathways Program, which supports pathways to health professions for first-generation and underrepresented undergraduates. He serves on the NIH Clinical Management in General Care Settings Study Section and has been a member of the Leadership Working Group for the Association of Departments of Family Medicine since 2023.

Education

• B.A. in Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 1998
• Ph.D. in Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, 2007

Distinctions

• Congressional Recognition for Humanitarian Medical Service, Congress of the Republic of Peru (presented by Congressman Jorge Arturo Zeballos Aponte), 2026
• UCI Outstanding Community Builder Award, Latino Excellence and Achievement program, 2023
• UCI Chancellor's Faculty Award for Undergraduate Mentorship, 2023
• School of Medicine Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award, 2016
• Charles E. Gibbs Leadership Prize for Best Manuscript, Honorable Mention, Jacob's Institute for Women's Health, 2015
• Outstanding Performance Award, Peruvian American Medical Society Ayacucho Mission, 2014
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) Health Disparities Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Award, 2009-2014
• Chancellor's Award in Clinical and Translational Science for Outstanding Community Research Investigator, University of California, Irvine, 2013