Dr. Ninez Ponce

Biography

Ninez Ponce researches health economics and health policy. She is the Principal Investigator for the California Health Interview Survey and focuses on macroeconomic effects on health care access in low-income countries as well as among ethnic minorities in the United States. Her significant work includes being a co-principal investigator for the survey from 2001 to 2003, where she led efforts in measuring race and ethnicity, including oversampling ethnic subgroups and cultural adaptation of the survey. Ponce has received a five-year career development award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to explore how neighborhood effects and healthcare market factors explain racial and ethnic disparities in cancer screening. Recognized as a 'Rising Star' in cancer disparities research, she has worked with the Asian American Network in Cancer Awareness Research Training. Her current research investigates the socio-ecological predictors of population-based cancer screening behaviors, specifically focusing on breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancers, aiming to understand the relationship between individual socio-ecological variables and decisions to seek preventive cancer screening services in ethnic minority populations.

Research Interests

Experience