Annie Lu Nguyen, PhD, MPH

Annie L. Nguyen, PhD, MPH, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, University of Southern California, received a Doctorate in Philosophy in Public and Community Health from the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, and a Master of Public Health in Evaluative Clinical Sciences from Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH. Dr. Nguyen was the recipient of an NIH-funded Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) while a doctoral student that supported her research on successful aging among Chinese and Hmong elders living in the Milwaukee area. Dr. Nguyen is interested in social determinants of health and health disparities with a focus on the aging population.

Cohort

2013-14 & 2015-16

Projects

• 2015-16 Pilot Project, “HIV management and successful aging in men from communities of color.” Dr. Nguyen’s second pilot project, conducted in partnership with Special Services for Groups/Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team (APAIT) in Los Angeles, will use one-on-one, in-depth interviews with HIV+ older adults (ages 50 and older). The aims of this project are: 1) to elicit subjective definitions of successful aging from HIV+ men and; 2) to determine ways in which HIV+ men of color prioritize self-management behaviors to meet goals for successful aging. One-on-one, in-depth interviews will be conducted with 30 English-speaking men who are HIV+ and ages 50 years and over. The race/ethnic composition is expected to reflect the demographics of the recruitment site: Asian/Pacific-Islander (44.5%), African American (29.5%), Latino (16%), White (9%), other (1%).

  Ultimately the project seeks to understand the self-management behaviors of diverse HIV+ older adults within the context of an individual’s interpretation of successful aging. The proportion of HIV+ individuals who are older adults is growing and many will now have to negotiate the processes of disease along with the processes of aging. Findings will inform further research and programs to improve the health of HIV+ elders.

• 2013-2014 Pilot Project, “Behaviors related to diabetes management among elderly Latino patients see at a federally qualified health center.”Dr. Nguyen’s RCMAR/CHIME- and UCLA CTSI-funded project was a evaluation of diabetic patients and the impact of their participation in Health Connectors, a coordination program at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Orange County, CA, to provide them with access to free or low-cost community resources such as exercise programs and cooking classes that help them better manage their condition.