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Telling Deeper Truths Through Research
Join Dennis V. Tran, a cultural researcher and inclusion-focused consultant, whose work examines mental health, disability, neurodivergence, and LGBTQIA+ identity within the AANHPI community and beyond. Through community-centered research and interdisciplinary inquiry, Dennis explores how lived experience, data, and narrative intersect to inform more inclusive systems, policies, and practices.
Dennis' Research Objectives
Examine
how structural determinants influence neurodivergent health in AANHPI and immigrant communities.
Explore
how cultural determinants impact delayed autism and ADHD diagnoses in these communities.
Develop
community-engaged interventions that are culturally grounded.
Reduce
health and diagnostic disparities for disabled and neurodivergent individuals.
Improve
recognition, access, and support for autism and ADHD in AANHPI and immigrant populations.
If you are a researcher, changemaker, creative, or advocate who believes inclusion is built collectively, schedule a consultation with Dennis to explore research collaborations, insights, and opportunities to drive meaningful change.
Research Collaborations
Dennis V. Tran is a community-engaged researcher collaborating with universities, health systems, and community-led initiatives on autism, neurodiversity, public health, and clinical research.
His work includes qualitative and participatory research with the AJ Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University (Social Experiences and Loneliness of Autistic Young Adults Project) and Community-led Autism Research, Engagement, and Service (CARES), as well as clinical, quality improvement, and experimental research with UC Irvine Health Department of Orthopedic Surgery, UC Irvine Department of Public Health, and the UC Irvine Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The Rose Laboratory.
Community-Centered Research Projects
  • AJ Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University - Social Experiences and Loneliness of Autistic Young Adults (SELA) Project’s Community Council Member | 2026 - present
  • CARES (Community-led Autism Research, Engagement, and Service) — Research Collaborator | 2025–Present
    Contributed to the Stimming Research Study, supporting study operations, participant interviews, transcription, and qualitative data processes; developed partnerships and outreach strategies to expand community research initiatives
  • UC Irvine Health Department of Orthopedic Surgery — Clinical & Translational Researcher / Quality Improvement Assistant | 2014–2015
    Analyzed patient outcomes across 132 patients from 31 skilled nursing facilities; co-authored a published study on gait training following total joint arthroplasty; implemented iPad data collection, doubling rates from 40% to 80%
  • UC Irvine Wen School of Public Health x American Diabetes Association — Research Associate / Certified Grant Writer | 2014–2015
    Developed grant proposals and budgets, collaborated with the American Diabetes Association, and delivered regular outcome-based reports
  • UC Irvine Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, The Rose Laboratory — Experimental Research Lead | 2013–2014
    Trained and supervised 30+ undergraduate researchers in daily data collection and experimental procedures on Drosophila populations; collaborated with lab managers and PI to improve research operations and participant engagement

Inside a Research Collaboration With Dennis
1
Dennis and I worked collaboratively on an outcomes clinical research study (UCI Health Dept. Orthopaedic Surgery) where he reported directly to me. He made great contributions to not only our research study but also to the entire team with his persistence and due diligence to complete assigned tasks and projects in a timely manner. During his time here, he was a big help and always willing to take on different assignments and projects, building rapport with patients, staff, and facilities in the process. His commitment and contribution to improve patient care and patient health outcomes were truly remarkable. It’s been such a joy working with him and seeing him grow over the year.
-Ran Schwarzkopf, Professor/Orthopaedic Surgeon NYU Langone Orthopedic at NYU Langone Health
2
Sharing Asian heritage and lived experience as Asian-American disability advocates, I have watched Dennis lead the way in opening discussions and research around the intersection of culture, disability, identity, and empowerment. With a shared commitment to uplifting underrepresented stories and challenging stereotypes within Asian communities, Dennis understands the need to fill a critical gap by shining a light on disabled and neurodivergent Asian-American voices and to find interventions which will uplift the community.
- Akira Nakano, Program Officer at Fox Family Foundation
3
As a fellow late-identified neurodivergent Vietnamese American, I deeply respect his ability to transform lived experience into accessible education, research-based storytelling, and policy-informed advocacy. As a developmental and behavioral scientist, my research and advocacy work have focused on understanding the intersection of mental health, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and social inequalities. I am a Research Assistant Professor at George Mason University and the Assistant Director of Community Engagement at the Center for Advancing Systems Science and Bioengineering Innovation. In my role, I focus on research that centers people with lived experience and advocates for inclusive and accessible systems, services, and technologies. Given my expertise and commitment to advancing disability and neurodiversity inclusion, I hold Dennis's work in the highest regard. Dennis's work is uniquely shaped by his experiences growing up in a low-income immigrant household, where he faced the cultural silence and stigma surrounding disability and mental health. Dennis’s work bridges the intersections of disability justice, neurodiversity, and Asian American identity. His story is one of resilience, and it is this very lived experience that has fueled his passion to create representation, connection, and belonging for others who share these intersections. Through his work, Dennis has created spaces that affirm the voices and identities of disabled and neurodivergent Asian Americans, a group that has long been excluded from both Asian American and disability narratives.

Dennis brings empathy, intersectionality, and care into everything he does. His openness about the challenges he has faced has fostered intergenerational dialogue, reducing shame and increasing understanding within our communities. Dennis’s work gives language and visibility to experiences that I, too, navigated in isolation, and his contributions have shaped a more inclusive and understanding environment for future generations.
Dennis is a leader who has already made an indelible impact on the disability and neurodiversity movement. His unique ability to channel his lived experiences into advocacy, mentorship, and storytelling has changed lives, and I am confident that his continued work will inspire and empower countless individuals. I wholeheartedly endorse Dennis for any opportunity that will support and amplify his transformative work, knowing that his continued efforts will foster lasting change for disabled and neurodivergent individuals, particularly within the AANHPI community.
-Jenny Mai Phan, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Bioengineering Assistant Director of Community Engagement, Center for Advancing Systems Science and Bioengineering Innovation George Mason University
4
As a UCI alumnus and a clinician who has worked closely with Dennis across disability justice, neurodiversity, and AANHPI community initiatives, I have witnessed firsthand his remarkable dedication, analytical capacity, and deeply rooted commitment to advancing health equity.
Dennis’ communication strengths are among his most defining assets. He is an accomplished speaker and storyteller whose workshops, panels, and media features reach audiences across universities, national conferences, and cultural institutions. He communicates complex social and structural determinants of health with clarity, depth, and cultural nuance. His voice is academically rigorous and community-centered, reflecting years of translating research, culture, and lived experience into accessible educational tools. As someone who has collaborated with Dennis and observed his work directly, I can attest that he approaches disability, neurodivergence, and public health with integrity, humility, and precision. He is profoundly committed to addressing the structural barriers, cultural stigma, and racialized determinants that shape the experiences of neurodivergent Asian American communities, which remain significantly underrepresented in research.
Dennis is also a powerful community builder. His leadership in disability advocacy, curriculum development, media representation consulting, and community-centered program design demonstrates that his commitment to equity is grounded in action.

-Panicha Mcguire, LMFT, RPT - Founder and Therapist at Living Lotus Therapy

Interested in Researching Together?
Dennis V. Tran is a community-engaged researcher and cultural consultant whose work centers disability, neurodiversity, mental health, and intersectional identity. Drawing from academic, clinical, and community-based research collaborations, Dennis partners with institutions to design inclusive studies, support participatory research, and translate insight into impact. Book time with Dennis to explore research collaborations that are ethical, accessible, and grounded in lived experience.