Rupa S. Valdez

Bio

"I focus on systematically understanding and supporting health management at home through technological and non-technological interventions that is deeply responsive to patients’ lived experiences. Much of this work focuses on marginalized populations, including racial/ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and people living in under-resourced settings. "

Rupa S. Valdez

My research focuses on understanding and designing solutions to support the ways in which people manage health at home and in the community. I draw on methods from multiple disciplines including human factors engineering, cultural anthropology, and health informatics, among others. This work encompasses participatory and co-design approaches and attends to the ways in which social networks, physical environment, community resources, and information technology shape patient experiences. I am particularly interested in how health is managed among marginalized populations, including racial/ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and people living in under-resourced settings. A complementary research interest is in methodological development for research and teaching in this space. I have testified before Congress on the topic of bridging health equity gaps for people with disabilities and chronic conditions. My editorial appointments include serving as Associate Editor for Ergonomics, the Journal of American Medical Informatics Association Open, and Human Factors in Healthcare. Among other appointments, I serve on the Board of Directors for the American Association of People with Disabilities and for the American Health Information Management Association Foundation. I also serve on PCORI's Patient Engagement Advisory Panel and the National Committee for Quality Assurance's Health Equity Expert Work Group. I am also the Founder and President of the Blue Trunk Foundation.