Rachel Carmen Ceasar, PhD
Qualitative Research Methods Specialist, Biostatistics Services
SC CTSI Role
Dr. Rachel Ceasar is a qualitative research methods specialist at SC CTSI. She supports faculty and junior investigators with studies and grants involving qualitative research, including focus groups, one-on-one interviews, quality of life work, and mixed methods. Rachel also teaches qualitative methods every spring at USC (PM 587) and regularly teaches qualitative data workshops.
Contact Information
Professional Background
Rachel has an PhD from the Joint Medical Anthropology Program at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, San Francisco (2014), and an BA in Psychology with a minor in Spanish from the University of California, Los Angeles (2006). She conducted a postdoctorate with Dr. Ricky Bluthenthal studying cannabis motivations among people who inject drugs before moving to a faculty position in 2021. Rachel currently runs the USC Maternal Cannabis Lab where her team fosters person-driven evidence to counteract maternal health disparities surrounding substance use during pregnancy. Prior to joining USC, Rachel worked as an user experience research consultant for health and tech companies, including Kaiser Permanente, Baxter Health, and Embraer.
Interests
Rachel enjoys camping, reading fiction, and exploring Los Angeles by bike and metro with her family.