Biography
Dr. Lakon began her career at UC Irvine as an assistant professor in 2008 before becoming a tenured associate professor in July 2015 and then a professor in 2022. Dr. Lakon served as the interim and founding chair of the Department of Health, Society, and Behavior from March 2020 until September 2022.
With a strong passion for research, Dr. Lakon has published 17 peer reviewed articles as well as receive various grants to fund her projects. She has received grants from NIH, R01, and R21. Through her work, Dr. Lakon is recognizes as an expert in adolescent social networks and substance abuse. Many of her works has appeared in various media outlets including Yahoo News and Time Magazine.
Research Interests
Some of Dr. Lakon's research interests include social influence/support, adolescent social networks, ecological models of health, and more.
Education
Dr. Lakon holds a PhD degree from the Univerisity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Throughout her career, Lakon was involved in several committees such as curriculum, graduate admissions, and honors nominations.
