About Us

PharmacoEquity, Advocacy, Research, Leadership

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhumane.”

The PEARL Lab is a health equity and services research lab focusing on improving equitable access to novel medications and technologies, especially for treating heart diseases. 

Led by Dr. Utibe Essien, the PEARL team consists of a diverse range of individuals, all contributing to pharmacoequity. Dr. Essien coined this term in 2021 to describe the goal of achieving equitable access to life-saving medicines.

The PEARL Lab works to advance knowledge and implement strategies to reduce health disparities occurring every day within the health system. This lab works to provide innovative research and interventions to not only advance patient care and outcomes, but also clinician education and acumen. Research takes place in a variety of institutions including UCLA Health and VA Greater Los Angeles.

Current Research 

  1. Understanding differences in the outpatient management of atrial fibrillation
  2. Examining factors associated with poor medication receipt and adherence among older adults, including in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) 
  3. Characterizing the Quality of Evidence-Based Prescribing for Hospitalized Veterans
  4. Identifying social factors associated with atrial fibrillation
  5. Assessing the role of implementation science as a solution to system-based barriers to high-quality care