Our Team
Luisa Blanco, PhD Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Luisa Blanco (Co-PI) is a behavioral economist and professor of Public Policy at Pepperdine University who has experience using mobile technologies to deliver educational information to Latinx populations.
Blanco is also a scholar at UCLA Resource Center for Minority Aging Research-Center for Health Improvement of Minority Elderly (RCMAR-CHIME), a Visiting Senior Scholar at the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank (2017-2018), an Adjunct Researcher at RAND Corporation, and a Research Fellow at Harris Manchester College at Oxford.
Yelba M. Castellon-Lopez, MD, MSHPM Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Castellon-Lopez (Co-PI) is a family physician with years of experience in interventions that address health disparities and improve health outcomes amongst Spanish-speaking Latinx communities.
Dr. Castellon-Lopez's research projects include community-based participatory research, diabetes, immigrant Latino health, workforce diversity, and health disparities. Currently, Dr. Castellon-Lopez is a Research Scientist at Cedars Sinai.
Evelyn Torres Callejas BA, Research Assistant
Evelyn Torres Callejas is a graduate student at the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University specializing in International Relations and Dispute Resolution. Her career interests include healthcare policy, including access to reproductive health and immigration policy.
Brittney Zendejas, Student Research Assistant
Brittney Zendejas is an alumna of the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in Biology and Applied Developmental Psychology. Her career interest is becoming a physician.
Gael Perez, Student Research Intern
Gael Perez is an undergraduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles studying Human Biology & Society and Chicana/o/x Studies. He currently works at Cedars Sinai at the Cancer Research Center for Health Equity. His research interests include addressing Latinx health disparities and healthcare equity.
Renato Escobar, Student Research Assistant
Renato Escobar is an alumnus of the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in Environmental Science and Global Health & Community Engagement & Social Change. His research interests include accessibility to healthcare, environmental science, and Latino/Hispanic health equity.
Susana Rafaela, Student Research Assistant
Susana Rafaela is an alumna of the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in Biology.