Sarah Koopman Gonzalez, PhD

Sarah Koopman Gonzalez's, PhD, training is in Medical Anthropology. Her research has focused on understanding the factors that influence health and well-being, such as facilitators and barriers to health, healthcare, and risk behaviors, particularly tobacco use. Her work has regularly involved the use of community-engaged research methods, including the engagement of community advisory boards. For example, as a co-investigator for a project focused on understanding vision health and disparities, she assisted with the facilitation of a community advisory board to co-design data collection procedures and tools for the research project. She also is the co-project lead for two PCORI Engagement Stakeholder Convening Awards. Additionally, she has extensive experience developing and leading evaluations of health promotion research studies. This work has included leading the evaluation of a prostate cancer screening project, co-leading the evaluation of an AHRQ-funded Urinary Incontinence Implementation Research Project, co-leading the evaluation of an AHRQ-funded diagnostic center of excellence, co-leading the data and evaluation team for the Ohio Cardiovascular and Diabetes Health Collaborative, and serving as the Principal Investigator of Evaluation of a sexual health education program. As a research scientist at the Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods, Sarah has developed qualitative research instruments, conducted interviews and focus groups, analyzed qualitative and quantitative data, and disseminated research findings through journal manuscripts and conference presentations.