Jennifer Kate Felner
Assistant Professor & Undergraduate Program Director, San Diego State University
Chapter Member: San Diego SSN
Areas of Expertise:
Connect with Jennifer
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
In the News
"Universal Bathroom Access in San Diego Could Help Save Lives. Here’s How.," Megan B. Welsh (with ), Opinion, The San Diego Union Tribune, June 7, 2021.
Jennifer Kate Felner's research on participatory research on youth homelessness discussed by , "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 ). 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 ), 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 ). 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.