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Jennifer Kate Felner

Assistant Professor & Undergraduate Program Director, San Diego State University
Chapter Member: San Diego SSN
Areas of Expertise:

Connect with Jennifer

(619) 738-1326

About Jennifer

Felner is a community health scientist with expertise in qualitative and community-based participatory research methods and postdoctoral training in social epidemiology. In her research, Felner leverages mixed methods, critical epistemologies, and community engagement to examine and intervene on the upstream determinants of health inequities among youth, particularly LGBTQ+ youth and transitional-aged youth experiencing homelessness. Her primary research aim is to advance health equity for youth and build community power to develop sustainable community health improvements.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | In the News | Publications

Contributions

Why Cities Must End Their Reliance on Police to Manage Homelessness – and How They Can Do It

    Megan B. Welsh ,
Memo,

Increasing Access to Public Bathrooms is Critical for San Diegans’ Health

    Megan B. Welsh , Jerel Pasion Calzo
Memo,

In the News

"Universal Bathroom Access in San Diego Could Help Save Lives. Here’s How.," Jennifer Kate Felner (with Megan B. Welsh and Mitchelle Woodson), Opinion, The San Diego Union Tribune, June 7, 2021.
Jennifer Kate Felner's research on participatory research on youth homelessness discussed by Gary Warth, "Researchers Find Environment Perpetuates Stigma of Homelessness," The San Diego Union-Tribune, June 9, 2019.

Publications

"Stress, Coping, and Context: Examining Substance Use Among LGBTQ Young Adults With Probable Substance Use Disorders" (with Jennifer P. Wisdom, Tenneill Williams, Laura Katuska, Sean J. Haley, Hee-Jin Jun, and Heather L. Corliss). Psychiatric Services (October 2019).

Involves a qualitative examination of how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) young adults with probable substance use disorders conceptualized their substance use vis-à-vis their LGBTQ identities.

"Action4Health Community Report: Findings on Youth Homelessness, Health, and Stigma," (with Jerel Pasion Calzo, Hunter Call, Daniel Kirkland, Jerel Calzo, Saanjh Boyani, Amanda Farr, Talia Kieu, Ethan Lopez, Andrew Stieber, Cameron Wadstrom, Carrissa Wijaya, and Sally Windsich), San Diego State University, 2019.

Describes the findings of a community-based participatory research study using photovoice methodology to explore health and homelessness in San Diego among transitional aged youth.

"“Anywhere but Here”: Querying Spatial Stigma as a Social Determinant of Health among Youth of Color Accessing LGBTQ Services in Chicago’s Boystown" (with Terry T. Dudley and Jesus Ramirez-Valles). Social Science & Medicine 213 (September 2018): 181-189.

Explores intersecting place, race, and class-based stigmas, or spatial stigma, as a social determinant of health among youth of color accessing LGBTQ-specific services in the Chicago’s White, middle-class gay enclave, Boystown. Collects qualitative data within the context of a youth participatory action research study with 11 youth researchers.