LAUREN  CLARK
  • Ombudsman, Office Of Sr Vp Health Sci
  • Adjunct Professor, College Of Nursing

Research Summary

Dr. Clark's program of research explores maternal-child health and disabling conditions, as well as the day-to-day health experiences of adults with developmental disabilities. She uses interview-based fieldwork in her qualitative studies of culture and health disparities. Dr. Clark publishes both substantive and methodological topics in interdisciplinary journals, and serves as Associate Editor for Qualitative Health Research and on the editorial board of Global Qualitative Nursing Research.

Education

  • Baccalaureate of Science, Nursing, University of Arizona
  • Master of Science, Community Health Nursing, University of Arizona
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Nursing, University of Arizona
  • Certificate, Medical Anthropology, University of Arizona

Biography

Professor Lauren Clark completed a post-doctoral certificate in Medical Anthropology from the University of Arizona and a fellowship in cultural anthropology methods sponsored by the National Science Foundation.  Her research focus on health disparities among diverse and marginalized populations has directed her exploration into child feeding and parenting among Mexican immigrant and Mexican American families, as well as participatory research among disability communities in the areas of nutrition and physical activity.  As a qualitative researcher she elicits and analyzes how people come to understand their health and illness situations and act on that understanding.

Career Highlights

In her clinical specialty, Dr. Clark works with marginalized groups to address health inequities.  She established a public health nursing clinical education and practice site affiliated with a refugee torture survivor center. Her service in immigrant and rural communities earned her the Anna M. Fillmore Award from the National League for Nursing in 1999.

On the national level, Dr. Clark has been appointed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to developed curricular cultural competencies in baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs. She has also served on professional ethics committee of the  American Anthropological Association and as a scientific reviewer for the National Institutes of Health.  She has a long-term committment to equity and diversity in higher education and has served in academic positions to support inclusion initiatives.

Dr. Clark is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the Society for Applied Anthropology and a Transcultural Nursing Scholar.