Dr. Payán, an associate professor in the Department of Health, Society, and Behavior at the University of California Irvine. She is a leading expert in state and local health policy research whose work focuses primarily on obesity and nutrition-related health disparities, and understanding how policy impacts health behavior. She conducts state and local policy surveillance research and community-engaged studies implemented in a variety of settings from schools and faith-based organizations to safety net clinics and academic medical centers. Dr. Payán is part of CHBRP's Public Health Impact team. 

Dr. Payán is also the Faculty Director of the California Initiative for Health Equity and Action (Cal-IHEA), a state-wide research and policy center that supports the translation of research evidence into state health policy and public health practice to improve health equity in California.

Dr. Payán holds a PhD in Public Policy and Management from the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy and a Master's degree in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.