Gina is a behavioral scientist with a strong background in psychology and measurement. Her research focuses on testing novel applications of technology for health promotion and disease prevention. Gina’s current projects examine the role of social networks in supporting individual-level behavior change and how Facebook can be used as a platform for promoting weight-related behavior change. She is particularly interested in how friends influence physical activity and dietary behaviors online (versus face-to-face), and exploring the impact of computer-mediated communication on behavior. As an active member of the Human Nature Group (http://hng.ucsd.edu/index.html), Gina seeks to enrich her work in behavioral science by learning from other scientific disciplines.
Gina received her MA from Cal State San Marcos in 2011 and was awarded the Dean’s Outstanding Graduate Award for the College of the Arts and Sciences. She is also a former fellow of two NIH training grants through San Diego State University and the University of California San Diego. In her spare time, Gina enjoys cooking, gardening, playing soccer, spending time with her husband and dog, and running with her teammates from Prado Racing Team, a competitive running team in San Diego.
