Daniel Soto

Assistant Professor Of Clinical Population and Public Health Sciences

Director of the Bachelor of Science Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HP) & Global Health (GH) Programs

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Overview

Daniel W. Soto, Ed.D, MPH, is an assistant professor at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine. He directs the Center for Population Health (CPH). He has over 20 years of population-based health behavior research experience and seven years of curriculum design and teaching experience with graduate and undergraduate programs in public health. Dr. Soto has led research and evaluation efforts on several longitudinal and cross-sectional studies of acculturation, mental health, diabetes prevention, substance use, addressing health disparities, preventing the spread of infectious disease, and tobacco control. Most recently, Dr. Soto led a team of 20+ graduate students to work on preventing the spread of COVID-19 in K-12 schools in Los Angeles County. He has established effective community engagement, recruitment, and retention methods for populations across the United States. Additionally, Dr. Soto has published over 100 manuscripts on acculturation, cultural stress, nicotine addiction, and substance use prevention in adolescents and young adults.

Awards

  • University of Southern California, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences: Digital Education Innovator Award, 2023
     – 2024
  • University of Southern California, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences: Chair’s Citation on Pedagogical Excellence Award, 2024
     – 2025

Education and Training

  • University of California Davis, Davis, CA — BA — 06/2001 — Sociology/Native American Studies
  • University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA — MPH — 06/2010 — Public Health/Biostatistics
  • University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA — EdD — 05/2023 — Educational Psychology

Publications

  • Peer influences: the impact of online and offline friendship networks on adolescent smoking and alcohol use. J Adolesc Health. 2014 May; 54(5):508-14.. View in PubMed
  • Emerging adulthood themes, role transitions and substance use among Hispanics in Southern California. Addict Behav. 2013 Dec; 38(12):2797-800.. View in PubMed
  • Role transitions in emerging adulthood are associated with smoking among Hispanics in Southern California. Nicotine Tob Res. 2013 Nov; 15(11):1948-51.. View in PubMed
  • Bullying victimization as a mediator of associations between cultural/familial variables, substance use, and depressive symptoms among Hispanic youth. Ethn Health. 2013; 18(4):415-32.. View in PubMed
  • A comparison of peer influence measures as predictors of smoking among predominately hispanic/latino high school adolescents. J Adolesc Health. 2013 Mar; 52(3):358-64.. View in PubMed
  • Substance use and sexual behavior among recent Hispanic immigrant adolescents: effects of parent-adolescent differential acculturation and communication. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012 Sep; 125.. View in PubMed
  • Cultural values associated with substance use among Hispanic adolescents in southern California. Subst Use Misuse. 2011; 46(10):1223-33.. View in PubMed
  • Marijuana use among Latino adolescents: gender differences in protective familial factors. Subst Use Misuse. 2011; 46(5):644-55.. View in PubMed
  • Associations between family structure, family functioning, and substance use among Hispanic/Latino adolescents. Psychol Addict Behav. 2010 Mar; 24(1):98-108.. View in PubMed
  • Perceived discrimination and substance use among Latino adolescents. Am J Health Behav. 2009 Nov-Dec; 33(6):718-27.. View in PubMed