La Sonya (Sonya) A. Goode

Sonya is a seasoned Research Public Health Analyst within the Community Health & Implementation Research Program at RTI. She has more than 20 years of expertise in the field of Public Health where she has honed her knowledge and skills in community health promotion, health equity, social determinants of health, and their effects on marginalized communities. As an experienced qualitative researcher, she dedicates herself to unraveling the intricate factors that contribute to health disparities and inequities and implementing holistic approaches to address these pressing issues. Sonya's proficiency in qualitative research methods allows her to delve into complex phenomena, gain insights into individual experiences, and capture nuanced perspectives that enrich her research endeavors.

At RTI, Sonya currently serves as a Research Analyst/Implementation Specialist, actively engaged in supporting the implementation and evaluation of diverse research projects within the Helping End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) Prevention Coordinating Center (HPCC). As the project manager for the NIAAA-funded research project titled "Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Simulation: Modeling Treatment Impacts on Alcohol-Related Disparities in the US," she assumes a pivotal role in overseeing and coordinating various aspects of the project including efficient management of project timelines, tasks, and resources. Leveraging her research background, Sonya also contributes to scientific discussions and decision-making processes, providing invaluable expertise on research strategies, methodologies, and data analysis with regards to alcohol treatment barriers and disparities. Additionally, she has helped spearhead the evaluation of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Benefit Insight (CBI) online tool, which offers publicly-available data on hospital community benefit allocations. In this capacity, Sonya has provided invaluable insights into hospital community benefit allocations and their profound impact on community health.