Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo (she/her/ella), is an associate professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. As a Mexican immigrant, she is fluent in Spanish, speaking, reading, and writing it proficiently. She is also a first-generation college graduate. Dr. Lara-Cinisomo earned her bachelor’s degree from California State University, Northridge, her master’s degree in human development from Harvard University, and her doctorate in psychology from Columbia University in New York, NY.
Dr. Lara-Cinisomo's research focuses on addressing mental health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities. Her work is grounded in a comprehensive framework that includes psychosocial, cultural, structural, and physiological factors. She adopts an integrated approach by examining how contextual elements, such as culture and biology, influence mental health challenges among racial and ethnic minorities. By using an interdisciplinary perspective, she aims to understand and address these disparities through culturally responsive approaches, while also informing policy and future research.
Dr. Lara-Cinisomo has worked with IHSI’s Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) team on several studies and grant proposals. Currently, she, along with Dr. Jesus Sarol, Jr., IHSI Senior Research Biostatistician, and Fatima Ahmed, IHSI Assistant Research Biostatistician, are finalizing a manuscript that examines the relationship between proximity to the COVID-19 virus, pre-existing health conditions, and mental health among African American and Latino adults in a Midwestern state.
Dr. Lara-Cinisomo has participated in IHSI's NIH Grant Writing Series, and has served as a mentor for the Community-Academic Scholars program for several years. She is a recent affiliate of IHSI and is also affiliated with the Center for Social and Behavioral Science, the Division of Nutritional Sciences, the Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity, and the Center for Latino American and Caribbean Studies.
Can you describe a goal you are currently pursuing?
My colleagues and I are pursuing several projects to understand and reduce mental health disparities across different health conditions. We are using innovative approaches, including clinical trials and emerging technologies, in those studies. For example, my team and I are assessing the feasibility of a Phase I clinical trial to evaluate safety and determine the optimal dosage of a self-guided mindfulness-based intervention. This English and Spanish intervention is designed to reduce postpartum pain and prevent postpartum depression among Latinas. This work is especially important given the complex psychosocial and structural barriers many birthing people face in accessing effective postpartum pain management and mental health support. As we move forward, we plan to extend this work to include other racial and ethnic groups to broaden its applicability and impact.
How has the focus of your research changed or evolved since you first started in the field?
This is an excellent question! As a trained developmental psychologist, I have taken a life-course perspective in my research. I studied school readiness and self-regulation in low-income, racial, and ethnic minority preschoolers, as well as mental health outcomes in adolescent Latinos. My findings revealed that maternal mental health was a key predictor of children’s and adolescents’ outcomes. This brought me back to my earlier work with racial and ethnic minority mothers who often shared the complex economic and social struggles that adversely affected their parenting and mental health. To better understand those challenges, I began examining factors that contributed to maternal depression. Over time, this expanded into a broader program of research exploring how contextual, biological, and psychosocial factors influence mental health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities, particularly women.
How is most of your research funded? Can you share how your approach to seeking funding is changing in the current funding climate?
Various internal and external funding sources support my research. While I am still pursuing funding from the National Institutes of Health, I have intentionally increased my focus on foundation funding. Additionally, I am also maximizing my resources. For instance, my team uses a generative AI text-to-speech program to create mindfulness audio recordings in English and Spanish. This approach ensures consistency in the content across languages and enables us to produce materials more quickly and cost-effectively. Furthermore, the program allows us to clone team members' voices, which enhances our cultural responsiveness and sensitivity.
What is something you want your colleagues to know about you or your research?
Another excellent question! I want my colleagues to know that I care deeply about mental health and identifying ways to reduce mental health disparities—on our campus, in communities, and globally. I am fortunate to have collaborators across the U.S., Latin America, and Europe, as this work depends on strong, supportive, and interdisciplinary partnerships. Being fluent in English and Spanish enables me to engage with diverse communities and expand the impact of my research.
What would you like to know about other researchers?
I would like to know what keeps researchers motivated when their energy decreases, funding is cut, or their papers are rejected. What lessons have they learned that can help current and future generations of researchers thrive and persevere while also addressing their mental health needs?
Are there new research areas that you are interested in pursuing in the next 3 - 5 years?
I am very interested in expanding my work on pain, including pain experienced during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the post-childbirth period. I also plan to explore how cultural, structural, personal, and social factors influence individuals’ perception of pain, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities and birthing people. Understanding how these factors intersect with mental health disparities will be essential for developing interventions and treatments that are sensitive and appropriate.
Bonus question: You have participated as an academic mentor in the Community-Academic Scholars program for many years. Do you have any insights from the program you would like to share?
I have had the privilege of working with several impressive undergraduate students as an academic mentor in the Community-Academic Scholars program. Each student has made a fantastic addition to my team. They are eager, motivated, bright, and insightful. Although the summer may seem brief, the Scholars I have worked with have been ready to contribute in meaningful ways. It has been a worthwhile investment!
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