Our Research
Background
Everyday life stressors and community level burdens have been shown to alter brain biology. Psychoendocrinology literature shows compelling evidence that stress-induced changes to the body may contribute to obesity and metabolic diseases. Specifically, psychosocial and environmental stressors can disrupt hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, which in turn will alter cortisol levels throughout the day. Disrupted cortisol patterns have been shown to be associated with increased risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Work in this area of research has implications for public health and health care practitioners by raising awareness of health risks associated with stress and the need for stress-reduction programs and interventions.
Research Questions
The overarching research aim of the MeSA pilot study to understand the complex relationship between various stressors, HPA-axis activity, and body fat. In this effort, we will characterize perceived, community, and biological stress and assess their relationships with body fat measures.
Method
Since our lab is grounded in clinical epidemiological design, we only use quantitative methods. Our data are collected via self-reported surveys, health behavior assessments, and physiological measures from biospecimens.
Our Team
Associate Professor
Claudia Toledo-Corral is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at CSUN
and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Southern California (USC). Dr. Toledo-
Corral has a background in biological sciences, health psychology, and anthropology/cultural
studies, and obtained her M.P.H. and Ph.D. in Preventive Medicine from USC. She has a long-
standing research agenda in the field of obesity and associated disease risk in minority
populations. Dr. Toledo- Corral’s past work includes the study of the biological underpinnings of
pediatric obesity and diabetes risk, assessing the efficacy of clinical diagnostic methods of
diabetes, and examining the physiological role of stress on obesity and cardiometabolic risk.
Applied Epidemiology
Kimberly graduated with her Master of Public Health with a concentration in Applied
Epidemiology. In the Metabolism and Stress Assessment Lab (MeSA) Lab, she is the lead project
coordinator for the Allostatic in Los Angeles Youth (ALLY) study assisting with recruitment and
data collection. Her master’s thesis consisted of ‘Examining the Associations between Cortisol
Measures with Type 2 Diabetes Markers by Sociodemographic Factors among Black/Latinx
Adolescents with Overweight and Obesity’ using the Diabetes Risk and Ectopic Adiposity in
Minority Youth (DREAM) Study. In the 2021–22 academic year, she was awarded the California
Pre–Doctoral Sally Casanova scholarship and was a CSUN Teaching Fellow. Her future goals
include pursuing a doctoral degree in Epidemiology and a career in academia. The research
agenda she plans to pursue is to study the effects of social determinants of health on chronic
diseases in ethnic minority youth.
MPH Applied Epidemiology
Renee is a graduate student in the Master of Public Health program with a concentration in Applied Epidemiology. Her current research interests include investigating psychosocial factors contributing to metabolic stress, which may be associated with chronic disease. As a future PhD student, she aims to integrate the role of epigenetics in these relationships. Her long-term goals include completing a Ph.D. and representing first-generation Hispanic females in academia within the STEM field, following the direction of her mentor and principal investigator, Dr. Claudia Toledo-Corral.Â
MPH Applied Epidemiology
Breana is a graduate student of the Master of Public Health student in the Applied Epidemiology program at California State University, Northridge. She also holds a B.S. in Public health from CSUN. Before joining the lab, Breana’s research interest involved investigating how Environmental pollutant exposures are associated with cardiovascular risk among ethnic minority youth, infants, and expecting mothers. Specifically, she is interested in how air pollutants may alter biological mechanisms and development and if relationships differ among biological sex, gender, ethnicity, and age. Breana’s future goals involve pursuing a doctoral degree in Environmental Epidemiology and a career in academia.
B.S., Cell & Molecular Biology
Joshua A. Vazquez is a fourth-year cell and molecular biology student at California State University, Northridge. Using a basic sciences curriculum and an epidemiological research focus, he hopes to attain pertinent knowledge about biological aspects of disease and discover how these findings translate to the healthcare field. He is also interested in exploring proactive preventive healthcare options for under-resourced Hispanic-serving communities such as his hometown which are disproportionately impacted by cardiovascular disease. Ultimately, Joshua would like to apply to MD/PhD programs to become a physician-scientist to study cardiovascular disease and teach at the university level.Â
Furthermore, Joshua is a student researcher in the Health Equity Research & Education (HERE) Center and a fellow in the NIH Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) Program. He serves as a research collaborator for the Culture, Health & Development (CHD) Lab led by Dr. Yolanda Vasquez-Salgado. He is also the Vice President of the Chemistry & Biochemistry Club and the American Chemical Society (ACS) Student Chapter at CSUN led by faculty advisor Dr. Ravinder Abrol.Â
Dennise is a graduate student in Master of Public Health, specializing in applied epidemiology. She
also works as a clinical lab scientist which exposed her to the challenges faced by individuals and
communities affected by infectious and chronic diseases. This ignited her interest in public health
and the need for effective prevention and control strategies. She has previously presented in the
Southern California Branch of the American Society for Microbiology and Cedars-Sinai Laboratory
Symposium. Her journey as a graduate student in CSUN also sparked her interest in data science
and its immense potential to inform public health strategies. One of the key areas where Dennise
aims to meaningfully contribute is the development and implementation of effective health promotion
and disease prevention programs.
Josie E. Gomez is a 1st year graduate student pursuing a Master of Public Health with a
concentration in Applied Epidemiology at California State University, Northridge. Josie is interested
in infectious disease, understand, treat, and prevent using evidence-based approaches. She holds a
Bachelor of Science in Public Health from California State University, Northridge, as of Spring 2023.
Josie hopes to gain more knowledge in research by using epidemiological methods to understand
further the many aspects of research within the public health field. Her future goals include working
in outbreak investigation as an epidemiologist and helping communities globally. After completing
her Master of Public Health, Josie intends to work in a research setting to help advocate for disease
risk from a global view for communities with little access to healthcare interventions.”
Karina Rosales is a graduating senior at California State University, Northridge studying
psychology. Her research interests while working in Dr. Toledo’s lab include mental health
outcomes and health disparities due to living in disadvantaged populations. She hopes to be able
to study the intersections between mental health and perceived stressors and how these
individuals may be able to transition into resilience strategies. Her long-term goals include
pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and being able to provide mental health services to
marginalized communities. She wants to focus on childhood trauma in individuals coming from
minority populations and help them thrive within education and careers. Karina is also a scholar
within the NIH-funded program U-RISE at CSUN
Jessica Roso is currently a graduate student in the Master of Public Health with a concentration in
Applied Epidemiology. She is interested in health equity, with a focus on how discrimination affects
health outcomes and access to medical on minority populations. She is currently a part of the ALLY
(Allostatic Load in Los Angeles Youth) Study. She hopes to receive relevant experience and guidance from
the entire MeSA lab. She has plans to get her doctoral degree in Epidemiology, where she will then focus
her research on how policy affects minority health outcomes.
Agatha Santos is a graduate MPH student with an emphasis in Applied Epidemiology.
She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Public Health at California State University,
Northridge. After graduating, she is pursuing her PhD in Epidemiology with a goal to
specialize in cancer prevention and treatment, as well as patient advocacy, especially
within minority communities. Having witnessed and recognized the need for
innovative and quality medical care, she is driven by her passion to advocate for
cancer patients and contribute to improving the quality of cancer treatment and
increasing healthcare access. Ultimately, she plans to specialize in breast cancer
treatment and prevention within the Asian-American Pacific Islander community.
Jeremy Argueta is a Business Information Systems major at California State University Northridge (CSUN). While at CSUN, He has done research for the Positive Augment Research and Development Lab. Also, he has created, designed and maintained the website for the Mesa Lab.
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