Helena Lyson, PhD, MA

Helena Lyson, PhD, MA
[email protected]
Phone: (415) 206-7867

Helena C. Lyson, PhD, joined the Center for Vulnerable Populations in 2017 as a Postdoctoral Scholar. She supports Dr. Urmimala Sarkar’s research on patient safety in outpatient settings, health information technology and social media to reduce health disparities among disadvantaged populations and improve the safety and quality of outpatient care, and implementation of evidence-based innovations in safety-net care settings. Dr. Lyson is passionate about conducting solution-oriented, applied research that addresses issues of poverty and inequality and works to promote equitable health outcomes. Prior to joining CVP, Dr. Lyson’s research focused on food, health, nutrition, agriculture, and inequality at the disciplinary nexus of sociology and political science. In particular, her mixed-methods dissertation explored how recently enacted changes to federal school-food policy in light of childhood obesity concerns affect local-level school food program implementation and the growing farm-to-school movement in the U.S. Dr. Lyson also previously worked in the nonprofit sector at Public Allies Arizona, where she supported the professional development of young adults from diverse backgrounds to become the next generation of social-change leaders, and at Project C.U.R.E., where she helped to improve the quality of healthcare in developing countries by distributing donated and surplus medical supplies from the U.S. to clinics and hospital around the world.

Dr. Lyson received her PhD and MA in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and dual bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Chicago.