É«ÖÐÉ«

Dr. Lalaine (Lainey) Sevillano is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at California State University, Long Beach. An interdisciplinary health and education scholar, Dr. Sevillano integrates perspectives from social work, psychology, ethnic studies and education to examine how social, cultural, and historical contexts get under the skin to shape health. Guided by an indigenist framework, her research focuses on the social and cultural determinants of cardiometabolic health, substance misuse, and mental health, with particular attention to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

Dr. Sevillano previously served as co-Principal Investigator of the CDC-funded National HIV Behavioral Surveillance study, leading bio-behavioral data collection and analysis among populations disproportionately affected by HIV. She has also been awarded two NIH-funded fellowships—the Indigenous Substance Use and Addictions Prevention Interdisciplinary Research Education (INSPIRE) program and the Center for Health Equity Research (CHER) Institute—supporting her ongoing investigations into resilience and health equity.

Her scholarship has been published in leading journals including American Psychologist, Journal of Adolescent Health, and Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. She has presented at national conferences, secured competitive funding, and received recognition from the Association of Asian American Studies for her early career contributions.

In addition to her research, Dr. Sevillano is deeply committed to mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. She has mentored through programs such as the McNair Scholars Program and Project PROA (Promotion, Retention, Opportunities, Advancement), and she directs the Kultura Advancing Pilipinx Well-being & Abundance (K.A.P.W.A.) Research Lab. At É«ÖÐÉ«, she currently teaches courses in Research Methods and Thesis.