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Oswaldo Moreno, Ph.D.

moreno

Assistant Professor
Counseling Psychology
800 W Franklin, rm 101
oamoreno@vcu.edu
(804) 828-6624

Assistant Professor (tenure-track)
Ph.D. (2015), Clark University

Websites

La Esperanza Research Program
Center for Cultural Experience in Prevention
Latinx Immigrant Health Alliance

Doctoral Program Affiliation

Counseling Psychology

Research Interests

Dr. Moreno’s research involves understanding and addressing health equity and healthcare disparities and inequalities in the United States that affect individuals from racial/ethnic minoritized backgrounds, especially the Latinx/e immigrant and Spanish-speaking communities. Dr. Moreno’s research program also includes intersectional approaches to immigration, cultural, contextual, and systemic factors on health outcomes. His research projects have included cultural and ethnic minority health, Latinx/e immigrant health, culturally sensitive interventions, psychology of religion, as well as substance use and mood disorder prevention efforts for Latinx/e youth and families.

Currently, Dr. Moreno directs La Esperanza Research Program, which is working on culturally enhancing a group-based motivational interviewing intervention for Latinx/e adolescents, identifying priorities, use of services, and behaviors related to health and comorbidities among youth and families in marginalized communities in the greater Virginia area (VCU iCube), as well as exploring early immigration, anti-immigration sentiment and policies on the psychological well-being among first-generation Latinx/e immigrants.

Areas of Expertise
  • Health Disparities and Health Inequalities
  • Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology
  • Latinx/e Immigrant Health
  • Community Health 
Recent Courses
  • Abnormal Psychology, undergraduate level
  • Cross-Cultural Psychology, undergraduate level
  • Personal Awareness in Multicultural Counseling, graduate level
  • Multicultural Counseling Practicum, graduate level
  • Diversity Dialogue: Intersectionality, graduate level 

Select Publications

Moreno, O., Garcia-Rodriguez, I., Fuentes, F., Hernandez, C., Munoz, G.., Fuellen, K., Hobgood, S., & Sargent, L. (2022). Non-Latinx healthcare providers’ knowledge and awareness of Latinx geriatric clinical health needs. Clinical Gerontologist, https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2022.2065943.
Hernandez, R., Willis, K., Moreno, O., & Corona (2022). Does religious commitment mediate the association between acculturative stress and Latinx young adults’ tobacco use? Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, doi:10.1177/00220221221093814
Cariello, A. N.., Perrin, P.., Derlan, C.L., Espinoza, A, *Morlet-Paredes, A, & Moreno, O. (2022). Moderating influence of social support on the relations between discrimination and physical health via depression in Latinx immigrants. Journal of Latinx Psychology, 10(2), 98–111. doi:10.1037/lat0000200
Moreno, O., Fuentes, L., Rodriguez-Garcia, I., Corona, R. & Cadenas, G. (2021). Psychological impact, strengths, and handling the uncertainty among Latinx DACA recipients. The Counseling Psychologist, 49(5) 728-755. doi:10.1177/00110000211006198
Moreno, O. & Corona, R. (2021). Considerations to youth’s psychopathology and mental healthcare disparities research through the intersections of dominant and non-dominant identities. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 49, 19-23, doi:10.1007/s10802-020-00716-6.
Hagiwara, N., Green, T.L., Moreno, O., Smith, D. & Corona, R. (2021). Ethnic discrimination and weight outcomes among Latinx emerging adults: Examinations of a psychological mediator and cultural moderators. Journal of Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 27(2), 189-200. doi:10.1037/cdp0000336.

Recent Grants

Culturally enhancing motivation interviewing to target Latinx adolescent tobacco use

Role: Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI: Corona)
Source: Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth
Period: 2018-2022
Total Costs: $449,912

Identifying priorities, use of services, and behaviors related to health and comorbidities among students in low-Income communities

Role: Co-Investigator
Source: Children’s Hospital of Richmond
Period: 2018-2019
Total Costs: $9,544.00

National Research Service Award

Role: Research Fellow
Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Period: 2015-2017
Number: 5T32 AA07459-11
Total Costs: $84,000

Recent Awards

  • 2021: ASSET Junior Faculty Fellow, University of California, San Diego
  • 2020: Community Engagement Award, VCU Psychology Department
  • 2016-2018, Interdisciplinary Research on Hispanic Drug Abuse - National Hispanic Scientist Network Research Fellowship (R25DA026401)
  • 2015, American Psychological Association Dissertation Award
  • 2013-2015, American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship (MHSAS & SAMHSA)
  • 2012, Disparities in Mental Health Care for Latinos with Serious Mental Illness Fellowship (T37 MD003405)

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