Biography
Dr. Lara-Cinisomo's research focuses on addressing mental health disparities in women and mothers, particularly racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, and military populations. Her research approach builds on a framework focused on psychosocial, cultural, structural and physiological factors. Specifically, she examines how contextual factors (e.g., culture, biology) are associated with poor mental health in her populations of interest. As such, she takes an integrated approach to understand mental health disparities in mothers and women. Recently, she completed several studies that examine associations between hormone function (i.e., cortisol and oxytocin) and perinatal depression in Latinas. Dr. Lara-Cinisomo also completed a novel study on the effects of mindfulness on the mental health of caregivers of veterans. Currently, she is conducting a multisite study on prenatal depression, diabetes, and disease management. Dr. Lara-Cinisomo is also exploring brain activation in the context of pain in postpartum women with and without depression.
Additional Campus Affiliations
Associate Professor, Health and Kinesiology
Associate Professor, Nutritional Sciences
Associate Professor, Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity
Associate Professor, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Affiliate, Social & Behavioral Science Institute
Affiliate, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute
Recent Publications
Hernandez, R., Solai, K., Kwon, S., Venkatesan, P., Fast, D., Lara-Cinisomo, S., & Nisar, H. J. (2026). Translating behavioral interventions into virtual reality: the Transcend Framework for immersive health design. Frontiers in Digital Health, 8, Article 1766741. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2026.1766741
Lara-Cinisomo, S., & Melesse, B. (2026). Perceived Labor Control Among Latinas: Examining the Role of Pregnancy Loss, Prenatal Depression, and Childbirth Pain Severity. Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.70145
Mendy, M. E., & Lara-Cinisomo, S. (Accepted/In press). Addressing Gaps in Mental Health Policy: The Urgent Need to Support Perinatal Latinas. Women's Health Issues. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2026.06.003
Lara-Cinisomo, S., Beeram, S., & Romero, M. E. (2026). A Critical Review of Post-Childbirth Pain Experiences and Management in Relation to Postpartum Depression Risk for Racial and Ethnic Minorities. Current Psychiatry Reports, 28(1), Article 5. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-025-01655-z
Lara-Cinisomo, S. (2025). An Integrated Approach to Perinatal Depression and Anxiety in Spanish-Speaking and Latina Women. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-57824-3