Hitomi Hayashi-Branson, DrPH, MPH is currently a User Experience Researcher at Facebook. Prior to working with the iSTRIVE Research Lab, she received her Master’s in Public Health at the University of California, Irvine. She then pursued her Doctor’s in Public Health degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, in which she focused on health promotion and behavioral sciences.  

As part of the iSTRIVE Research lab, Dr. Hayashi-Branson was a Research Investigator and worked closely with Dr. Jamila K. Stockman on research related to sexual risk-taking, drug use, and intimate violence among at-risk women. Dr. Hayashi-Branson was involved with conducting quantitative and qualitative research on vulnerable populations, developed manuscripts, and presented at research conferences. Her projects centered on assessing the relationship between sexual relationship power and intimate partner violence (IPV) among heterosexual methamphetamine-using men and women in San Diego, CA. Her work sought to inform the development of interventions aimed to decrease risk of HIV, reduce substance use, and reduce violence toward women.  

Dr. Hayashi-Branson‘s public health education and global public health research experience with the iSTRIVE Research Lab provided her with valuable lessons that she continues to apply to her work today.