Dr. Ninez Ponce

Biography

Ninez Ponce is a Professor and the Endowed Chair at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, where she also serves as the Director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. With a PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles, an MPP from Harvard University, and a BS from the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Ponce leads research efforts as the Principal Investigator for the California Health Interview Survey, the largest state survey in the USA. Her expertise encompasses health economics and policy, social determinants of health, and community-based participatory research. She has been an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance and has served on the Board of Scientific Counselors at the National Center for Health Statistics. Her professional contributions have been recognized with several awards, including the AcademyHealth Impact Award. In 2021, she was appointed a Commissioner for the RWJF Transforming Public Health Data Initiative and currently contributes to the Data Disaggregation workgroup for the White House, addressing issues related to Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. With a commitment to equity-centered data, Dr. Ponce is influential in shaping public health policies that impact marginalized communities.

Research Interests