For data-driven technology to change healthcare for all, there is a need for equity in three areas. Equity in technology, equity in research personnel, and equity in research subjects. I have participated in several activities to better understand how to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in digital health technology. Some examples listed below:

1. Program Lead, Research Experience for Undergraduates program, Rice University: Since 2019, I have served as the program lead for the PATHS-UP REU program at Rice University. The program provides undergraduate (UG) students – specifically students underrepresented in STEM – with a 10-week paid research experience at various PATHS-UP research labs. In the past 3 years, I have mentored 13 students (69% women and 54% from underrepresented minority groups) in research projects that use data science to better understand diabetes.
2. Certified Research Mentor Training Program: I have successfully completed a certified mentorship training program facilitated by education experts from the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN). The program focused on interactive training modules for mentoring diverse UG and graduate students. Topics covered included active listening, constructive feedback, defining expectations, building self-efficacy, addressing DEI, and promoting independence.
3. Reducing inequity in digital diabetes technology: Diabetes disproportionately affects certain racial/ethnic minority groups much more than white individuals in the US. Unfortunately, these communities are under-represented in research studies for new digital health technologies. We collaborated with Sansum Diabetes Research Institute in a first-of-its-kind study examining the use of wearable sensors in underserved Hispanic/Latino individuals with or at risk for type 2 diabetes. The study leverages SDRI’s citizen scientist model (“Especialistas“) for recruitment of subjects. I derived novel data-driven insights into diabetes that can help design new and potentially more affordable interventions tailored for this community.
4. Facilitator, PATHS-UP DEI seminar series: As part of PATHS-UP’s culture of inclusion initiative, I have served as a moderator and panelist for two workshops on gender inequity and inclusive mentoring in STEM. In these workshops, I facilitated case studies and shared my experiences in mentoring students from multiple backgrounds.