Kalpulli Research Group
The Kalpulli Research Group was established by Dra. Dina Tamar García with the goal of conducting innovative health equity research while training the next generation of public health innovators. The group acknowledges that health inequities are a result of a confluence of social forces and systems of power and oppression. As such, the group embraces a transdisciplinary approach where perspectives and methodologies from a diverse set of disciplines and fields are employed to develop innovative research and public health programs to address health inequities.
A primary tenet of the Kalpulli Research Group is that research and applied public health efforts should lead to action and powerful communities historically targeted for oppression should be at the forefront of such action. Thus, research group members and collaborators are expected to actively participate in community-grounded activities as well to engage in constant critical reflection to challenge and address underlying assumptions that perpetuate unjust systems.

Upcoming Events
Invited Talk
Dra. Garcia's talk, Reflexive Practice in Community-Engaged Research, explores how our identities, experiences, and institutional roles shape community-engaged research relationships and knowledge creation. This talk is hosted by VCU's Division of Community engagement and will take place October 15, 2026 at noon.
Community Mobilizing
On September 25, 2026, Dra. Garcia and Andrea represented the Kalpulli Research Group at the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Open House, highlighting the group’s new initiative to advance communication equity in dental care settings for Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities.
Kalpulli Research Group in the News
2026
2025
2024
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Dra. Garcia was the MC for the 2nd Annual Adelante! Course Celebration that was held on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024 at the Shift Retail Lab located at 1235 W Broad Street in Richmond, VA.
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