Welcome Clarissa Ferguson, MPH, Research Associate & Program Coordinator

Please join us in welcoming Clarissa Ferguson, MPH, to her new role as Research Associate/Project Coordinator in the Division.

Clarissa started her new role this morning and will be supporting the HEARD (Hospice Equity for People Impacted by Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias) Study led by Dr. Krista Harrison. Clarissa earned her Master of Public Health degree from CSU Fullerton and a BS in Biology from San Francisco State University, where she completed the NIH-funded SF BUILD Research Fellowship. Her journey includes co-authoring peer-reviewed manuscripts, presenting cutting-edge research at national geriatrics conferences such as the AGS, contributing to NIH Diversity Supplement initiatives, and collaborating with interdisciplinary faculty teams to drive impactful research.

In her previous role as PREPARE Content Manager, she demonstrated exceptional leadership in bilingual content creation, large-scale translation and video projects, website optimization, study operations, and the dissemination of qualitative research. Her deep expertise in community-engaged research, ethics, human subject protection, and conducting sensitive interviews with older adults, caregivers, and clinicians resulted in meaningful and impactful outcomes. Additionally, across UCSF projects, she conducted interviews in both Spanish and English on emotionally charged topics, including serious illness, care planning, and caregiving burdens. She approaches these conversations with compassion, structure, and cultural humility, ensuring a supportive and thoughtful experience for participants.

In her new role as Research Associate/Project Coordinator, Clarissa will collaborate with Principal Investigators and Program Directors on research studies and educational initiatives aimed at enhancing care and policy for older adults. She will support the HEARD Study, coordinate with team members and partners, help create educational tools like videos and learning modules, and may assist with Pepper Scholars projects. Clarissa will also manage data, analyze systems, prepare key documents, and ensure compliance with ethical and privacy standards, including HIPAA regulations.

Clarissa’s personal commitment to advancing equity in aging, dementia care, and caregiver support, combined with her meticulous attention to data and documentation, gives us confidence that the HEARD Study’s focus on hospice policy reform for underserved communities will be a resounding success!

Clarissa can be reached at [email protected] if you want to congratulate her on her new role!