Krista M. Perreira
Ph.D., Professor, Social Medicine
krista_perreira@med.unc.edu
Curriculum Vitae
Google Scholar Profile
PubMed Publications
CPC Publications
ORCID iD
Krista M. Perreira is a demographer and health economist who studies disparities in health, education, and economic well-being and inter-relationships between family, health and social policy. Focusing on immigrant families, her research combines qualitative and quantitative methodologies to study migration from Latin America and the health and educational consequences of migration and policies affecting immigrant populations. Through community-based and clinical partnerships, she also develops interventions, programs and practices to improve the well-being of immigrant families and their children.
Dr. Perreira’s research has focused on a wide variety of health outcomes including Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), cancer prevention, cardiovascular health, and mental health. Moreover, her work is highly interdisciplinary involving collaborations with medicine, nursing, psychology, sociology, and social work.
Using both quantitative and qualitative study design’s, Dr. Perreira's demographic research has focused on immigration and adaptation, the life course of immigrant youth, migration and health, and aging. Projects have included the Latino Adolescent Migration, Health, and Adaptation Project, LAMHA; the Southern Immigrant Academic Adaptation study, SIAA; the Hispanic Community Health Study of Latino Youth, SOL Youth. She is currently an MPI for the Add Health Parent Study.
Her research in policy analysis and implementation science also utilizes mixed-methods combining population-based surveys with qualitative interviews of patients, health care providers, and health care administrators. Previous work includes studies of the implementation of state Medicaid managed care programs, the implementation of the ACA and outreach strategies to immigrant populations, the health consequences of state policies on access to health and human services, health care infrastructure reforms in Puerto Rico, and health promotion and prevention efforts developed by community-based organizations.
Associated Projects
- Cardiovascular Health of Sexual and Gender Minorities in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos
- Improving access to the safety net for eligible immigrants and mixed-status families in North Carolina.
- Resilience in the Age of COVID-19: Understanding Disparities in the Effects of the Pandemic on Resilience and Educational Outcomes of College Students Using Longitudinal Data