Doctoral students receive Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Program awards

Lisa Diaz, RN, MSN, CDCES, and Elizabeth Kohout, MSN, RN, doctoral students in the UCLA School of Nursing’s PhD program, have each been selected as recipients of the UCLA Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Program (GSRM) award.

The GSRM Program is designed to provide financial support to UCLA doctoral students in order to release recipients from employment or loan obligations that might delay progress in their graduate studies. The program also aims to promote opportunities for students to work closely with a faculty mentor in developing a paper for presentation at an academic conference and/or for publication.

Diaz’ study, Analysis of Type 2 Diabetes Self-management videos in English versus Spanish on TikTok, will explore the existing Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) self-management content currently available on TikTok in English & Spanish, its general quality, and the different types of engagement features being utilized. Mentored by Asst. Professor Anthony Tolentino, Diaz hopes to better understand how potential misinformation on social media may be further harming T2DM patients.

“This award means the reviewers saw value in the research project proposal's overall quality and my readiness for research mentorship,” Diaz said. “It will help me progress towards my PhD nursing degree and offer an opportunity for collaborative scholarship with School of Nursing faculty with expertise in T2DM, all leading to research productivity to publish and present the outcomes.”

Kohout’s study will look at the feasibility of establishing a longitudinal cohort to improve the health and safety of migrant workers participating in environmental disaster cleanup. Under the mentorship of Professor Wendie Robbins, this effort will also be a part of a University of California Climate Action Seed Grant, “Improving the Health and Safety of Migrant Workers Responding to Climate-related Disasters.”

“This award gives me the opportunity to engage in hands-on research using both qualitative and quantitative methods, including developing surveys and working with focus groups, and will allow me to work with community partners like the Instituto de Educación Popular del Sur de California (IDEPSCA) and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON),” said Kohout. “I can't wait to get started.”