Reimund “Rei” Serafica, PhD, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CNE, FTNSS, FAAN
Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Advanced Education
School of Nursing, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Phone: 702-895-5746
E-mail: reimund.serafica@unlv.edu
Expertise Areas:
Dietary acculturation and biculturalism, food insecurity, mental health issues and rural mental health
Languages spoken, read/write*:
English, Tagalog
Select Publications:
“The Pinoy Nurse Podcast.” YouTube, featuring Reimund Serafica, Sept. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pnmAoD75PI.
Serafica R, Evangelista LS, Ward T, Peterson J, Guerrero Lopez J, Lucero J, Erdei E, Braun KL, Bersamin A, Thomas J, Wulfhorst JD, Jorcyk C, Palacios R, Owens-Manley J, Fore E, Bertagnolli A, Bellon C, Sy FS. Collaborating with and enabling diverse communities to address health inequities: The experiences of a community engagement and outreach team. J Clin Transl Sci. 2025;9(1):e38. doi: 10.1017/cts.2025.7. eCollection 2025. PubMed PMID: 40052051; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11883566.
Serafica R, Reyes AT, Cacciata MC, Kawi J, Leyva EWA, Sy FS, Evangelista LS. Bridging the Gap: Reducing Health Inequities in Access to Preventive Health Care Services in Rural Communities in the Philippines. J Transcult Nurs. 2025 Jan;36(1):24-33. doi: 10.1177/10436596241271270. Epub 2024 Aug 28. PubMed PMID: 39193813; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11722604.
Serafica R, Fudolig M, Kawi J, Reyes AT, Leyva EWA, Sy FS, Evangelista LS. Correlates of Psychological Distress Among Filipino Americans and Filipinos Living in Urban Areas in the United States and the Philippines. J Transcult Nurs. 2023 Jul;34(4):256-262. doi: 10.1177/10436596231159004. Epub 2023 Mar 17. PubMed PMID: 36927196; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10330160.
Serafica R, Grigsby T, Donahue B, Evangelista L. Occupational Stress: A Concept Analysis with Implications for Immigrant Workers' Mental Health in the United States. Nurs Forum. 2023;2023. doi: 10.1155/2023/1332479. Epub 2023 Apr 13. PubMed PMID: 38037606; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10688967.
Present/Future Directions
Dr. Rei Serafica’s research focuses on advancing health equity and improving outcomes for underserved and minority populations. He is passionate about exploring the connections between physical health, mental health, and the social determinants that shape them. His recent work examines food insecurity, hypertension management, and mental health distress among Filipino Americans, with the goal of uncovering attitudes, cultural beliefs, and barriers to treatment that influence health behaviors.
In his leadership role over Community Engagement and Outreach for Mountain West CTR-IN, Dr. Serafica has been instrumental in initiating the Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) and forging strong partnerships between researchers and primary care practices. As Principal Investigator for the BHWET HRSA grant, he is focused on preparing the next generation of psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners to deliver high-quality care to children, youth, and families in rural Nevada.
Looking ahead, he is committed to developing and sustaining community-driven interventions, translating research into practice, and scaling programs that address health disparities, ultimately improving population health across Nevada and beyond.
09/2025