Bonnie Duran

University of Washington

Biographical Abstracts

Bonnie Duran is an American public health scholar known for advancing community-based and Indigenous-centered approaches to health research. A member of the Atakapa-Ishak Confederacy, she has focused much of her career on addressing health inequities affecting American Indian, Alaska Native, and other underserved communities, emphasizing research partnerships accountable to communities and guided by their priorities.

Dr. Duran has held academic leadership roles and has been affiliated with major research institutions in the Pacific Northwest, including the University of Washington, where her work has helped shape methods and ethics for community-engaged research. Her scholarship spans behavioral health, substance use, HIV prevention, and the social determinants of health, consistently emphasizing the strengthening of tribal and community capacity in research and program evaluation.

Duran is also a Buddhist minister, serves on the Guiding Teachers Council, and teaches retreats at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California.

Areas of Expertise

• Community partnerships/engagement
• Culture-centered interventions
• Indigenous health epidemiology
• Decolonizing communities and scientific interventions
• Mindfulness