About

Get To Know Me

Dr. Gray Abarca

There is no greater existential gratification than the experience of a new realization, connection, synthesis, or insight. Since the age of 15, I devoured the magical realism of García Márquez, Borges, and Juan Rulfo, lost myself in books on ancient Mayan civilizations and world religions, and even wrestled with Arendt and Sartre. I was searching for clues, convinced there was an “absolute truth” to the human experience.

That obsession led me to UC Berkeley, where I majored in Philosophy and Anthropology, still captivated by the search. By then, I had tempered my expectations for some ultimate truth—but now I could hold a conversation about ethics or cultural hierarchies.

In graduate school, at UC Irvine, I turned my attention to something more tangible. I wanted to understand how, in contexts of systemic violence, marginalized groups crowdsourced their cultural knowledge to build a better environment for themselves. I worked closely with community workers who were designing their city around equitable and inclusive principles. l found that folk’s critical imagination for novel solutions were activated when they felt heard, and their wisdom dignified.

I carried this lesson forward as a behavior change research scientist at Rescue, where I learned to derive insights to design impactful health communications. I applied my ethnographic training to listen closely to the desires and strengths of users that could then be turned into actionable and strategic recommendations for creating campaigns that resonate and enhance their experiences in their health journey.

While I still entertain the hopeless search for an “ultimate truth” from time to time, my true passion remains unchanged: understanding the human experience, and how we can use that knowledge to make things better.

Years of experience

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Projects Led

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Participants Engaged

Building Foundations

My Approach

Anthropology is the most humanistic of the sciences and the most scientific of the humanities.

-Alfred Kroeber

Drawing on my background in anthropology, behavior change science, and human-centered research, I approach research as an interpretive process—one that uncovers the unspoken needs of users.

Human behavior unfolds within layered cultural and historical contexts that shape, but don’t determine, how people act. To understand this rich terrain—the imponderabilia of daily life—I practice deep listening, tracing people’s reasoning and tuning into the unspoken ideas shaping their choices. I look for patterns of meaning not just to observe them, but to help design products and services that enrich people’s lives.

For me, research isn’t about extracting data—it’s a co-learning relationship. When participants are treated as thought partners, interviews and observations become spaces for reflection and shared insight. This co-insighting process helps uncover deeper values, needs, and motivations—fueling thoughtful, unexpected design solutions.

Listening Deeply to See Clearly

Rooted in anthropology and behavior science, my approach is empathetic and contextual. Behavior doesn’t happen in isolation—it’s shaped by culture, history, and lived experience. I uncover these layers to help teams better understand their users.

More Than Interviews—A Partnership

Research isn’t just data collection—it’s a relationship. When participants are treated as collaborators, they reflect and contribute in ways that surface deeper insights, values, and motivations.

Meaning That Drives Better Design

I help mission-driven teams translate cultural insight into design. By understanding how people view the world, we can build products and services that truly resonate—with empathy and purpose.

Go Deeper

Curious how research can be both collaborative and trauma-informed?

In this talk, I explore what it means to treat participants as thought partners—creating space for reflection, respect, and co-insight.