Angie Otiniano Verissimo

Dr. Angie Denisse Otiniano Verissimo is an Associate Professor of Teaching at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health where she earned her PhD and MPH. She completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship at the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs funded by the National Institutes of Health. Her research examines (1) how discrimination contributes to health disparities, particularly among the Latine community, (2) the health and social advantages of engaging community members in research and intervention processes, such as through the Promotor Model, and (3) interventions that incorporate virtual reality as a means of storytelling and healing. She has published her research in the American Journal of Public Health and coauthored a chapter in “The Cost of Racism for People of Color: Contextualizing Experiences of Discrimination” published through the American Psychological Association.

Dr. Verissimo’s teaching philosophy is based on the work of Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, an advocate of critical pedagogy that promotes a relationship between the teacher, student, and society. She aims to establish a learning environment for her students that fosters critical consciousness and strives to make connections between in-class experiences and experiences working in the field of public health. She has been involved in several community-based programs and projects that bring services directly to community members and acknowledge the expertise of community members.

Select Publications

Otiniano Verissimo AD, Gee GC, Grella C. 2023. Examining the Relationship between Intersectional Discrimination and Substance Use Disorders by Race/Ethnicity and Gender. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. Epub ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000599

Sherman ADF, Cimino AN, Balthazar M, Bonds K, Burns D, Otiniano Verissimo AD, Campbell JC, Tsuyuki K, Stockman JK. 2023. Discrimination, Depression, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, and Social Support among Black Cisgender Women. Journal of Healthcare for the Poor and Underserved. 34(1): p.35-57. https://doi.org/10.1353/hpu.2023.0004

Otiniano Verissimo AD, Henley N, Gee GC, Davis C, Grella C. 2021. Homelessness and discrimination among US adults: the role of intersectionality. Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness. 32(1): p.1-15.  https://doi.org/10.1080/10530789.2021.193565

Otiniano Verissimo AD, Penniman Dyer T, Friedman SR, Gee GC. 2020. Discrimination and Sexual Risk Among Caribbean Young Adults. Ethnicity and Health. 25(5): p.639-652.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2018.1444148

Otiniano Verissimo AD, Grella CE. 2017. Influence of gender and race/ethnicity on perceived barriers to help-seeking for alcohol or drug problems. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 75: p 54-61.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2016.12.013

Otiniano Verissimo AD, Grella CE, Amaro H, Gee GC. 2014. Discrimination and Substance Use Disorders among Latina/os: The Role of Gender, Nativity, and Ethnicity. American Journal of Public Health. 104(8): p.1421-1428. http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2014.302011

Otiniano Verissimo AD, Gee GC, Ford CL, Iguchi M. 2014. Racial Discrimination, Gender Discrimination, and Substance Abuse among Latina/os Nationwide. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. 20(1): p.43-51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0034674

Otiniano Verissimo AD, Gee GC, Iguchi M, Ford CL, Friedman S. 2013. Discrimination, drugs, and alcohol among Latina/os in Brooklyn, New York: Differences by gender. International Journal of Drug Policy. 24(4): p.367-373.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2013.01.010

Otiniano AD, Gee GC. 2012. Self-reported discrimination and health-related quality of life among Whites, Blacks, Mexicans and Central Americans. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. 14(2): p. 189-197. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10903-011-9473-6

Otiniano AD, Carroll Scott A, Toy P, Wallace SP. 2012. Supporting Latino communities’ natural helpers: A case study of promotoras in a research capacity building course. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. 14(4): p. 657-663. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10903-011-9519-9

Otiniano Verissimo AD, Currie D, 2010 APHA Delegation to Cuba. 2013. Continuing the Dialogue on Health: Insights from the 2010 APHA Delegation to Cuba. American Journal of Public Health. 103(7): p. 1168-1171. http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301264