The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Office of Public Health Studies (OPHS) proudly welcomes Dr. Jake Ryann C. Sumibcay to its distinguished faculty.
With more than a decade of experience in public health practice and research, Dr. Sumibcay brings a wealth of expertise in critical areas such as tobacco and nicotine use, cancer prevention, mental health, COVID-19, and aging. His interdisciplinary research approaches aligns with OPHS’s priorities to interdisciplinary and culturally-grounded research that integrates local knowledge with global perspectives.
His research is dedicated to addressing health disparities and advancing health equity, with a particular focus on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. He investigates how racial representations of these communities shape public health policy, practice, and research, emphasizing the unique nuances that are often overlooked. Dr. Sumibcay is also committed to enhancing race, ethnicity, and language data collection practices, advocating for policies that support data disaggregation beyond standard federal reporting requirements.
Dr. Sumibcay earned both his Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) in Leadership and Management, with a minor in Health Policy, and his Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Promotion, Education, and Evaluation from the School of Community and Global Health at Claremont Graduate University.
“I am so privileged to have the opportunity to join OPHS as faculty and to return home to Hawaiʻi after over 15 years,” said Dr. Sumibcay. “My kuleana will be enlightened with collaborations with our distinguished faculty and communities. I am excited to learn with our future public health scholars and workforce.”
In addition, Dr. Sumibcay recently completed a Professional Graduate Certificate in Digital Storytelling from Harvard University, aiming to expand research dissemination beyond traditional academic spaces by crafting narratives through contemporary digital media. During his tenure at OPHS, he plans to continue this work, exploring innovative ways to communicate the value of health to communities and empowering them to make informed decisions. He hopes to collaborate with fellow researchers, colleagues, and students at OPHS and UH Mānoa to uplift this work.
“We are excited to welcome Dr. Sumibcay back to Hawai‘i and to UH Mānoa,” notes Eric Hurwitz, Chair of the Office of Public Health Studies. “His dedication to promoting health equity is a strong complement to existing OPHS research in this area. He’s a wonderful addition to our faculty!”