Jill Johnston, PhD
Associate Professor
Hello! My name is Jill Johnston, PhD and I am an Associate Professor and Director of Community Engagement in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health at UCI. My research focuses on addressing unequal exposures to harmful contaminants that affect the health of working poor and communities of color. I engage in collaborations with grassroots organizations to conduct community-engaged action-oriented research at UCI to support environmental health. I work towards strong partnerships with local organizations, community health workers (promotoras), policymakers and residents to address air pollution, upstream oil and gas extraction and incompatible land use. Previously I worked as a community organizer on issues of environmental and economic justice in South Texas. I received my PhD in environmental sciences and engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I studied hazardous waste sites and industrial animal production.
Staff
Elizabeth Kamai, MSPH, PhD
Research Scientist
Hello, my name is Dr. Elizabeth Kamai and I am an environmental epidemiologist with expertise in environmental chemical exposures, reproductive and pediatric health, and community partnerships. My research projects include characterizing sources and health impacts of air pollution among children in rural California in the AIRE study, and evaluating how living near oil and gas production affects the health of urban Latina women in the BELLA and MADRES studies. I collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to support community-led participatory science, analyze and visualize data, and translate research into actionable resources across communities in Southern California.
Dayane Dueñas Barahona
Program Administrator
Hi, my name is Dayane Dueñas Barahona and I serve as the Program Administrator for Jill’s team. In my role I am responsible for the coordination and execution of administrative duties for the EJRL. Alongside Dr. Elizabeth Kamai, I am designated as a primary point of contact for matters pertaining to community engagement. I also participate in community trainings and health fairs, and engage with various community partners to provide technical assistance.
Sandra Serrano
Research Coordinator
Hello, my name is Sandra and I am program assistant/research coordinator. I work on different projects including BELLA, the Carson Odors and Health Study, and LAS VOCES. In my role I conduct outreach in the community, give educational workshops on the chemicals that exist in personal and cleaning products, participate in health fairs, and coordinate breast health workshops. I have also had the opportunity to contact a mobile unit for free mammograms for the community, and many women have benefited from this. I collaborate with the team to conduct surveys for research studies, translate our material from English to Spanish, look for contacts and strategic places for our projects, give resources to people in need, and participate in educational workshops about the environment.
Zander Silverman
Research Coordinator
Hi! My name is Zander Silverman (he/him) and I am a research assistant for the Community and Environment Lab focused on community driven research and partnership building in Carson and other South LA communities. I support the research team on their Odor and Health study in Carson exploring the health effects of hydrogen sulfide exposure, odors, and air pollution, and organize workshops for the community centered around environmental concern issues.