Dellanira Garcia

Dr. Dellanira Garcia, a licensed clinical psychologist, obtained her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Washington. She was awarded a National Research Service Award (F31) from the National Institutes of Mental Health to examine social capital and mental illness among women of Mexican descent. Dr. Garcia's research focuses on socio-cultural contextual factors impacting ethnic minority mental health and sexual risk behaviors, with an emphasis in Latino populations. Her community-based work, conducted in both English and Spanish, focuses on women, ethnic minorities, and underserved/marginalized populations. Dr. Garcia has national and international experience examining stigma and HIV prevention with women.

Dr. Garcia has co-authored several publications in peer-reviewed journals as well as book chapters and has numerous presentations at professional conferences. Her published works focus on the roles of race/ethnicity and gender inequities in the areas of mental health, social capital, sexual risk and HIV risk behaviors. Her published work includes a co-authored publication examining the intersection of gender and ethnicity in HIV risk among Latinos and African Americans in the U.S. in the American Psychologist (2013).

• Mental health and health disparities among BIPOC communities
• Latinx Mental Health
• Community based research methods
• Social determinants of health
• Women's sexual risk and health

• President, Section III, Society of Latinx Womxn in Psychology/Sociedad de Mujerx en Psicologia, Division 35 (Psychology of Women), American Psychological Association
• Admissions and Recruitment Chair, PsyD Program
• Forum Chair, Latinas in Leadership Conference, USF Office of Diversity Engagement and Community Outreach with Vice Provost Dr. Mary Wardell-Ghirarduzzi

• PhD, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
• MA, Psychology, Boston University
• BA, Psychology, University of California at Davis

• Research Consultant, Health Equity Institute, San Francisco State University
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Sierra Pacific Mental Illness, Research, Education, & Clinical Center (MIRECC), VA Palo Alto Healthcare System & Stanford University (APA-Accredited) 
• Project Director, Department of Medicine, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California San Francisco, CA

• Educational Effectiveness Award, Program Evaluation Committee, School of Nursing and Health Professions, University of San Francisco, 2019
• Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Research Congress, Excellence in Educational Research Award, 2016
• Principal Investigator, National Institutes of Health, Health Disparities Loan Repayment Program, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (award amount $35,398), 2014-2016

• Dominguez, D., Garcia, D., Martinez, D. A., & Hernandez-Arriaga, B. (2020). Leveraging the Power of Mutual Aid, Coalitions, Leadership, and Advocacy during COVID-19. American Psychologist, 75(7), 909–918.
• Valencia-Garcia, D., & Montoya, H. (2018). Lost in translation: Training needs for bilingual students in health service psychology. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 12(3), 142–148.
• Valencia-Garcia, D., Bi, X., & Ayón, C. (2017). Sensitivity and specificity in three commonly used measures of depression among Mexican American women. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 19(3), 562-571.
• Ayón, C., Gurrola, M., Messing, J., & Valencia-Garcia, D. (2017). The oppression of Latina mothers: Experiences of exploitation, violence, marginalization, cultural imperialism, and powerlessness in their everyday lives. Violence Against Women, 24(8), 1-22.
• Wyatt, G. E., Gómez, C. A., Hamilton, A. B., Valencia-Garcia, D., Gant, L. M., & Graham, C., E. (2013). The intersection of gender and ethnicity in HIV risk, interventions, and prevention: New frontiers for psychology. American Psychologist, 68(4), 247-260.
• Valencia-Garcia, D., Simoni, J. M., Alegría, M., & Takeuchi, D. T. (2012). Social Capital, Acculturation, Mental Health, and Perceived Access to Services among Mexican American Women. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80(2), 177–185.