Team Leader, Nurse Family Partnership + Mechanisms of Intergenerational Transmission (she/her/hers)

My personal background has instilled in me a deep sense of purpose. Growing up as the daughter of a single, hardworking mother in a low-income circumstance, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges many families endure, including domestic abuse. Now, as a recipient of a full-ride scholarship at Soka University of America, where I am pursuing a major in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Life Sciences, I am working towards my dream of supporting vulnerable women and children facing circumstances similar to my own. While at Perinatal RISE, I aspire to use the skills and knowledge I gain to live a contributive life as a physician-scientist (MD-PhD), focusing my PhD in Public Health.

Fun Fact! I am an artist, I have a blog, and I studied abroad in Seville, Spain!

Team Leader, Trauma-Informed Care (she/her/hers)

From a young age, I have been my mother's health advocate, helping out as her Spanish translator during her medical appointments. It is this desire for a more inclusive and comprehensive approach to healthcare that led me to the lab. The lab's emphasis on maternal ACES and addressing social inequities that has far-reaching effects that span across generations deeply resonates with my family's medical experiences. In the future, my plan is to attend medical school and serve underrepresented communities by lessening the language barrier for Spanish-speaking patients.

Fun Fact! In my spare time, I love to blog about my fun and educational experiences as a first-generation college student and beginner dance on “DaeCamino!”

Research Assistant, Trauma-Informed Care (she/her/hers)

I am passionate about medical humanities and clinician-patient communication, especially in Latino health, so I am excited to learn and help the lab with studies that advocate for people of color and their underserved communities. I look forward to applying our trauma-informed research to my career as a doctor, illuminating the importance of patient communication within trauma-informed care, and furthering the movement to help women and their children on a local and global scale.

Fun Fact! One of my hobbies is playing the saxophone. A fun fact about me is when I used to work on a farm, I accidentally let a goose outside its cage and had to chase it back in.

Research Assistant, Trauma-Informed Care (she/her/hers)

I am really interested in doing research that correlates very closely to my experiences growing up. I grew up in a predominately low-income neighborhood and witnessed and experienced a lot of barriers with accessing quality healthcare. I was interested in working alongside a lab that focuses on a community like my own. I was also drawn in by the mother and child component as I am interested in overall family wellbeing and breaking cycles for the future generations. I would also like to primarily work with children as a pediatrician or child psychiatrist.

Fun Fact! I have never eaten hot cheetos.

Research Assistant, Trauma-Informed Care (she/her/hers)

I am passionate about maternal and child health, along with advocacy for underserved populations and communities of color. I hope to become a physician's associate in the future and the knowledge that I am gaining from this lab will help me become a trauma-informed healthcare professional who empowers patients and encourages health literacy and autonomy when it comes to health. 

Fun Fact! I love to play guitar and sing in my free time. 

Research Assistant, Nurse Family Partnership (she/her/hers)

I am a student at Columbia College, majoring in Neuroscience and Behavior with a concentration in Biology, on the pre-medical track. Growing up in Los Angeles, I witnessed firsthand the impact of inequitable, low-quality health care on my community and the people around me. These experiences have driven me to pursue work that addresses such disparities. As a member of the Perinatal RISE Lab, I am eager to explore how interventions like the Nurse Family Partnership can establish equitable standards in prenatal and maternal care and help break cycles of trauma affecting infant development. I aspire to become a neurosurgeon, dedicated to improving outcomes for communities in need. 

Fun Fact! I write and direct short films.