Jason Nagata, MD, MSc
Principal Investigator
Dr. Nagata is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at the University of California San Francisco and affiliated faculty with the Institute for Global Health Sciences. He researches health consequences of adolescent and young adult behaviors and is an expert in body image and eating disorders in boys and men. He has published over 180 articles in academic journals including The Lancet, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and Pediatrics. He is Co-Founder of the International Association for Adolescent Health Young Professionals Network. He serves on the International Advisory Board of The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health and the Editorial Board of the Journal of Adolescent Health. He is the recipient of the American Academy of Pediatrics Emerging Leader in Adolescent Health Award, the International Association for Adolescent Health Young Professionals Prize, and the Western Society for Pediatric Research Young Investigator Award. He completed a BA in Health and Societies from the University of Pennsylvania, MSc in Medical Anthropology from the University of Oxford, MD and Adolescent Medicine Fellowship from UCSF, and Pediatrics Residency at Stanford University.
Kyle Ganson, PhD, MSW
Assistant Professor
Dr. Ganson is an Assistant Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. His research interests include men's health, male eating disorders, and performance-enhancing substances.
- Legal Performance-Enhancing Substances and Substance Use Problems Among Young Adults
- Last word: A call to develop specific medical treatment guidelines for adolescent males with eating disorders
- A call for public policy and research to reduce use of appearance and performance enhancing drugs and substances among adolescents
- Gender and Sexual Orientation Bullying Victimization are Associated with Gun Carrying Among Adolescent Boys
- Associations between Anxiety and Depression Symptoms and Medical Care Avoidance during COVID-19
Deepika Parmar, MD, MPH
Fellow Physician
Dr. Parmar is a clinical fellow in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Parmar earned her medical degree from the University of Missouri and completed her pediatric residency training at Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center. She completed her Masters at UC Berkeley School of Public Health. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP) and a member of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM). She has a passion for serving sexual and gender minority youth and this has become her area of focus for research.
Kirk Fergus, MD, MAS
Resident Physician
Dr. Fergus is a surgery resident at the University of California San Francisco, where he completed medical school and a masters degree in clinical research. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in social studies. He studies young adult risk behaviors in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health.
Chloe Cattle, BS
Medical Student
Chloe is a medical student at the University of California San Francisco. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in Psychobiology. Her research examines eating disorders and muscle dysmorphia in sexual and gender minority populations in The PRIDE Study.
- Community norms for the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) among gender-expansive populations
- Psychometric evaluation of the Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory (MDDI) among cisgender gay men and cisgender lesbian women
- Community norms of the Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory (MDDI) among cisgender sexual minority men and women
- Sex differences in refeeding among hospitalized adolescents and young adults with eating disorders
Jonathan Chu, BA
Medical Student
Jonathan is a medical student at the University of California San Francisco. He graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology. His research examines weight control behaviors and body mass index trajectories in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health.
- Weight Goals, Disordered Eating Behaviors, and BMI Trajectories in US Young Adults
- Food Insufficiency and Mental Health in the U.S. During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Contemporary screen time modalities among children 9–10 years old and binge‐eating disorder at one‐year follow‐up: A prospective cohort study
- Parent-adolescent discrepancies in adolescent recreational screen time reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic
Anthony Nguyen, BS
Medical Student
Anthony is a medical student at the University of California, San Francisco. He graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in Biological Sciences and additionally dived deep into the joys of research through the American Chemical Society and biochemistry laboratories at the University of the Pacific. Today, he holds paramount interest in utilizing the skills he's learned in pursuit of clinical research that can improve human health. His research examines gender differences in medical complications of eating disorders among adolescents and young adults.
Paola Bojorquez-Ramirez, BS
Graduate Student Epidemiology Program
Paola is a second-year Master of Public Health student at the Yale School of Public Health in the Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. Her overarching goal is to carry out epidemiological research to improve the health of women, infants, children, and adolescents. Her research examines gender differences in medical complications of eating disorders among adolescents and young adults.
- Sex differences in refeeding among hospitalized adolescents and young adults with eating disorders
- Adverse childhood experiences and maternal disability: Findings from the North Dakota and South Dakota PRAMS, 2019
- Food insecurity and oral health care experiences during pregnancy: Findings from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System
Catherine Cortez, BS
Graduate Student Epidemiology Program
Catherine is a second-year Master of Public Health student at the University of California, Los Angeles in the Department of Epidemiology. She graduated from University of California, San Diego with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. Her research examines adolescent screen time, physical activity, and mental health in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.
- Screen Time Use Among US Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study
- Parent-adolescent discrepancies in adolescent recreational screen time reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity among adolescents in the USA during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Parent-adolescent agreement in reported moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic
Samuel Benabou
Undergraduate Student
Sam is an undergraduate student at Stanford University studying Human Biology. His research examines concussions in adolescents and young adults and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young adults.
- Associations between interpersonal violence victimisation and concussions among US college students
- Job Insecurity and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Among U.S. Young Adults During COVID-19
- Prevalence of Perceived Racism and Discrimination Among US Children Aged 10 and 11 Years: The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study
Lab Alumni
Lynhea Anicete, MS
Graduate Student
Lynhea is a recent graduate of the masters in global health sciences program at the University of California, San Francisco. She studies household composition and mental health among HIV-affected households in the Shamba Maisha study.