Our team
A multidisciplinary group of nurses, scientists, and students working toward diabetes health equity.
Leadership
Filipino Americans are one of the largest Asian American subgroups in the United States, yet they remain understudied, often called the “invisible group” in American history. As a member of this community, Dr. Tolentino is dedicated to reducing health inequities, particularly type 2 diabetes among Filipino Americans. His research examines the socio-cultural and environmental factors that contribute to the disease and develops nursing and health interventions using digital health technology. He is committed to centering the voices and experiences of marginalized communities to empower them to improve their health. His background in nursing informatics, together with his personal experience of diabetes in his own family, informs his work and drives his commitment to advancing knowledge and improving health outcomes for Filipino Americans.
Graduate Students
Paul is an inpatient nurse practitioner at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center who is completing his PhD, with a focus on the occupational health of healthcare workers. He is excited to contribute to the lab’s current study, which is both timely and relevant given the projected growth of the Filipino American population in the coming years. He counts Dr. Tolentino as a valued mentor and has learned a great deal from his leadership and research expertise. Fun fact: Paul plays badminton with a Filipino group here in LA, and his favorite vacation spots are Hawai‘i and Japan.
Paolo is a dedicated nursing professional committed to improving the health and well-being of underserved populations. He has gained extensive experience across a range of healthcare settings, including clinical education, emergency departments, behavioral health units, adult and teen psychiatry units, and vaccination clinics. His research interests center on improving health outcomes related to type 2 diabetes in the Filipino community. He believes that understanding the cultural factors shaping our health is essential to providing a holistic, patient-centered plan of care, a commitment that has earned him recognition as a leader in the nursing profession.
Sorina is a research assistant in the TenJ Lab, supporting studies on the facilitators and barriers to diabetes self-management in Asian Americans and on colonial mentality and health in Filipino Americans. She is currently a student in the UCLA School of Nursing’s Master’s Entry Clinical Nursing (MECN) program. She earned her Bachelor’s in Public Health Sciences from UC Irvine in 2022, where she conducted public health research and took part in many projects and community outreach programs for Asian Americans in Orange County.
Undergraduate Researchers
Kevyn earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Michigan and joined the lab in January 2022. He is passionate about child development, clinical psychology, and Filipino American health, and he works closely with pediatric patients diagnosed with chronic illness. He is especially interested in providing children with psychosocial support and therapeutic free play.
Kaitlyn earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Sciences from the University of Michigan. She currently works as a research assistant at the TenJ Lab and as a behavioral coder at the Child Health and Development Lab. She is passionate about using public health and medicine to improve health outcomes, especially for children and underserved communities. Her experiences in Hawai‘i and the Philippines have inspired her dedication to serving the Filipino community and to advancing the representation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in health research. She hopes to one day provide care and interventions that are accessible, community-based, and culturally sensitive. In her free time, Kaitlyn enjoys nature, arts and crafts, and food adventures.
Marjorie is a sophomore at Stanford University studying General Biology, originally from Los Angeles. She works alongside Dr. Tolentino to develop Diabetes@Work, a culturally and linguistically tailored, self-paced diabetes management course for Filipinos. Fun fact: in her free time, she enjoys trying new cafés around the Bay Area.
Taylor is a second-year student in UCLA’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. Her dedication to improving Filipino health outcomes grew as she witnessed the cultural adjustments needed to care for her late grandmother during the onset of dementia in the COVID-19 pandemic. After graduating, she plans to pursue a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP).
Haley is a second-year nursing student at UCLA from the San Fernando Valley. She is particularly interested in how internalized biases influence health behaviors, provider–patient interactions, and access to care within the Filipino American community. After graduating, she plans to work as an adult oncology nurse.
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Alumni
Matthew is a pediatric nurse who graduated from UCLA in 2024 with a Master of Science in Nursing. His background in public health policy and his identity as a Filipino American drew him to work with Dr. Tolentino and the TenJ Lab. Outside of academia, he loves exploring coffee shops and taking dance classes.
Derek is a recent UCLA graduate and clinical research assistant who hopes to pursue medicine. He is passionate about working with the Filipino community, and his research interests include HIV prevention and treatment and the social determinants of health. In his free time, he likes to crochet, try new foods, and travel.
Katrina is a UCLA graduate who joined the TenJ Lab out of a passion for addressing the health disparities that affect the Filipino community. She is interested in raising awareness to improve health literacy around common chronic conditions and lifestyle medicine.
Bio coming soon.