Thu Quach, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Research Scientist II, Cancer Prevention Institute of California
Consulting Assistant Professor, Division of Epidemiology, Dept. of Health Research & Policy, Stanford School of Medicine Member, Stanford Cancer Institute
2001 Center Street, Suite 700
Berkeley, California 94704 E-mail:Thu.Quach@CPIC.org Phone: 510-608-5190 Fax: 510-666-0693
Research Interests:
Environmental and occupational risk factors for cancer
Health disparities in immigrant populations
Community-based participatory research
Intervention research
Dr. Quach’s primary research interest has focused on immigrant populations to examine environmental, occupational and socio-cultural factors which may influence their health. She has a strong commitment to community-based participatory research, and has worked with different advocacy, environmental and community-based organizations to leverage public health goals that promote the health and well-being of under-served populations.
In collaboration with Asian Health Services, a community health center serving the Asian indigent populations in AlamedaCounty, she along with Dr. Peggy Reynolds, has examined cancer incidence in the booming nail salon workforce, comprised largely of Vietnamese immigrant women. Their community-research team has also conducted preliminary exposure assessment in nail salon shops using air monitors.
Dr. Quach is also expanding her research portfolio to include intervention studies. Currently, she is conducting a pilot study to develop an intervention curriculum targeting nail salon workers and owners to reduce their workplace chemical exposures.
Along with other CPIC colleagues, Dr. Quach is leading a community-based participatory research project of community mapping of environmental hazards (e.g., traffic density, superfund sites and barriers to health care) in ethnic enclaves with a large density of Vietnamese Americans to examine whether these areas have disproportionate environmental hazards relative to other communities. The mapping of such environmental hazards and socio-cultural barriers to health can inform research efforts examining how contextual-level factors can influence cancer incidence and other health outcomes.
Quach T, Nuru-Jeter A, Morris P, Allen L, Shema S, Winters J.K., Le G, Gomez SL. Experiences and perceptions of discrimination among a multi-ethnic sample of breast cancer patients in the San Francisco Bay Area. Am J Public Health. [in press].
