Research Interests
My general area of research focuses on health promotion and risk reduction in minority communities, primarily Latino and African American. I use a variety of methodologies including observational work, qualitative interviews and focus groups, and surveys. My work follows the principles of community-based participatory research, and my community partners play integral roles in the research process including identification of problem area, grant writing, data collection, and dissemination of findings. I have also been involved in the development and evaluation of prevention programs aimed at increasing family communication to reduce health disparities. Our current projects focus on cancer prevention in adult women, adolescent tobacco use, dating violence and healthy relationships, and the intersection between adolescents' body image and sexual health. In prior work, we have also examined Latino health and relationships in an "emerging" Latino community.
Selected Publications
Corona, R., Rodríguez, V. M., Quillin, J. M, Gyure, M. E., & Bodurtha, J. N. (in press). Talking (or not) about family health history in families of Latino young adults. Health Education & Behavior.
Corona, R., Stevens, L. F., Halfond, R. W., Shaffer, C. M., Reid-Quiñones, K., & Gonzalez, T. (2012). A qualitative analysis of what Latino parents and adolescents think and feel about language brokering. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 21, 788-798.
Lopez, V., & Corona, R. (2012). Troubled relationships: High-risk Latina adolescents and nonresident fathers. Journal of Family Issues, 33, 715-744.
Corona, R., Gonzalez, T., Cohen, R., Edwards, C., & Edmonds, T. (2009). Richmond Latino needs assessment: A community-university partnership to identify health concerns and service needs for Latino youth. Journal of Community Health, 34, 195-201.
Corona, R., Turf, E. E., Corneille, M., Belgrave, F. Z., & Nasim, A. (2009). Risk and protective factors for tobacco use among 8th and 10th grade African American students in Virginia. Preventing Chronic Disease, 6, Article 45. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2009/apr/08_0139.htm
- Full publication list [PDF]
Recent Courses
- Clinical Practicum, graduate level
- Culture, Ethnicity, and Health, graduate level
- Individual Tests of Intelligence, graduate level
- Minority Issues in Mental Health, graduate level
- Child Psychopathology, undergraduate level
- Psychology of Abnormal Behavior, undergraduate level
Recent Grants
Can parents help prevent youth tobacco use? An evaluation of two evidence-based parenting programs. Principal Investigator, July 2012-June 2015. Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, $449,873 total costs.
VCU ACE: Evaluation of a comprehensive approach to youth violence prevention. Co-Investigator. September 2009 – September 2015. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, $6,500,000 total costs.
Assessing the needs of the Asian American community in Richmond. Co-Principal Investigator. July 2011-September 2012. VCU Council for Community Engagement. $12,000 total costs.
Fostering family communication about cancer - do you know your kin facts? Co-Investigator (PI: Joann Bodurtha, MD, MPH). July 2009-June 2014. National Institutes of Health. R01 CA140959, $1,844,317 total costs.
Using media literacy to prevent HIV and dating violence among Latina adolescents. Principal Investigator (VCU Subcontract from Columbia University). April 2008-March 2010. National Institutes of Health. R25 MH080665, $9,980 total costs.
Talking about cancer and related risk factors in Latino families. Principal Investigator. July 2009-June 2010. American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant. $20,000 total costs.
Improving the quality of mental health care for Richmond's youth: A model interdisciplinary program. Co-Principal Investigator (PI = Bryce McLeod, PhD). July 2009-June 2010. VCU Council for Community Engagement. $10,000 total costs.
Awards
- Outstanding Teaching Award, VCU Department of Psychology, 2012
- Latino Mental Health Clinic recognized as one of VCU’s 40 Acts of Caring, 2008