Professor Director, Clinical Psychology 806 W Franklin, rm 201
racorona@vcu.edu
(804) 828-8059
Professor (tenured)
Director, Clinical Psychology Program
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Virginia
Director, Latina/o Mental Health Clinic
Associate Editor, Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology
Ph.D. (1999), University of California, Los Angeles
Primary: Clinical Psychology
Secondary: Health Psychology
My general area of research focuses on health promotion and risk reduction in Latina/o and African American families. I am particularly interested in identifying family and cultural protective factors for racial/ethnic minority adolescents’ health attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. I am also involved in the development and evaluation of family-based prevention programs aimed at reducing health disparities. I use a variety of methodologies including observational work, qualitative interviews and focus groups, and surveys.
This is a busy time in our lab as we are currently collecting data on two grant-funded projects. First, we are culturally-enhancin an existing evidence-based motivational interviewing intervention to explore whether it improves tobacco use outcomes in a sample of Latina/o adolescents and their parents. Second, we are evaluating whether integrating tobacco prevention messages into an evidence-based intervention for youth with ADHD and their parents helps reduce youth smoking intentions and behaviors. In addition to these active grant projects, we are collaborating with others on projects related to discrimination and obesity/overweight among immigrant Latina/o adults, health behaviors of South African university students, pediatric asthma, and mental health first aid in the Latina/o community. Undergraduate and graduate students are actively involved in research projects and publications.
Corona, R.,Pope, M., Shaffer, C.M., Hood, K.B., Velazquez, E., & Barinas, J. (2018). A qualitative examination of the relationship between body image and sexual risk behavior: Perceptions from Latina and African American adolescent girls and their maternal caregivers.Journal of Child and Family Studies. Advance online publication https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1184-3
Corona, R., Rodríguez, V.M., McDonald, S.E., Velazquez, E., Rodríguez, A., & Fuentes, V.E.(2017). Associations between cultural stressors, cultural values, and Latina/o college students’ mental health. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 46, 63-77.
Velazquez, E., Corona, R., Easter, R., Barinas, J., Elshaer, L., & Halfond, R.W. (2017). Cultural values, mother-adolescent discussions about sex, and Latina/o adolescents’ condom use attitudes and intentions.Journal of Latina/o Psychology, 5, 213-226.
Corona, R., Gomes, M., Pope, M., Shaffer, C. M., & Yaros, A. (2016). Love shouldn’t hurt: What do African American maternal caregivers tell their daughters about dating violence? Journal of Early Adolescence, 36, 465-489.
Corona, R., Yaros, A., Pope, M., Velazquez, E., & Augustin, D. (2015). A pilot study of what African American maternal caregivers and their adolescent daughters talk about when asked to discuss tobacco together. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 15, 268-286.
Culturally enhancing a motivational interviewing intervention for Latinx adolescents.
Amount: $449,929
Role: Co-Principal Investigator (Moreno)
Source: Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth
Period: 7/2018-6/2021
Perceived discrimination and obesity/overweight among Hispanic Immigrants
Amount: $3000
Role: Co-Investigator (Hawiwara, Green)
Source: VCU Massey Cancer Center Cancer Prevention and Control Research Accelerator Monies (RAMs) Award
Period: 11/2017-10/2018
RVA breathes: a Richmond City collaboration to reduce pediatric asthma disparities
Role: Co-Investigator (Everhart)
Amount: 6,068,581
Source: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute (U01HL138682)
Period: 07/2017-06/2023
Trauma-Informed Care for Refugee Newcomers in Virginia: A Factorial Design of Effectiveness-Implementation Hybrid Research
Amount: $47,000
Role: Co-Principal Investigator (Im)
Source: VCU Presidential Research Quest Fund
Period: 7/2017 – 6/2019
The Effects of Young Adults’ Attitudes About Health and Relationships on Sexuality and HIV Infection
Amount: $390
Role: Collaborator (Haffeje, PI)
Source: National Research Foundation
Period: 1/2016 – 12/2018
Integrating Tobacco Prevention Strategies Into Behavioral Parent Training for Adolescents With ADHD
Amount: $449,362
Role: Co-Principal Investigator (Langberg)
Source: Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth
Period: 7/2015 – 6/2018
![[View Image]](https://psychology.vcu.edu/media/psychology/content-assets/sliders/images/counseling4.png){kind=link}
![[View Image]](https://psychology.vcu.edu/media/psychology/content-assets/sliders/images/doctorwithcouple.png){kind=link}
![[View Image]](https://psychology.vcu.edu/media/psychology/content-assets/sliders/images/CCEPgroupphoto_2016January.png){kind=link}
![[View Image]](https://psychology.vcu.edu/media/psychology/content-assets/sliders/images/woman_cc.png){kind=link}
![[View Image]](https://psychology.vcu.edu/media/psychology/content-assets/sliders/images/custom-Custom_Size___womanwithcellphone.png){kind=link}
![[View Image]](https://psychology.vcu.edu/media/psychology/content-assets/people/faculty/corona.jpg){kind=link}