- PhD, Sociology, University of British Columbia
- MPH, Health Promotion, University of Toronto
- BA, Sociology (Honors), University of British Columbia
- Health disparities
- LGBTQ+ health
- Medical sociology
- Prosocial behavior
- Vaccination
Dr. Andrea N. Polonijo is a medical sociologist and Assistant Professor of Sociology at University of California, Merced. Born and trained in Canada, she examines how social factors—including income, education, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity—shape health behaviors and health outcomes.
Her current research focuses on prosocial attitudes as drivers of vaccination among older adults, social determinants of vaccination among California farmworkers, stigma as a fundamental cause of disease among sexual and gender minority populations, and socioeconomic inequalities in the uptake of vaccines and hormone replacement therapy in Denmark.
Dr. Polonijo has published more than 30 articles in leading journals, including Social Science & Medicine, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Journal of Adolescent Health, AIDS and Behavior, and LGBT Health. She also engages with media outlets, community stakeholders, and public audiences on issues related to health disparities and vaccine uptake.
Before joining the University of California, Merced, Dr. Polonijo completed a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship in Social Medicine, Population and Public Health at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine.
