I am a passionate advocate for social and health justice for all. Born and raised in the ancestral territories of the Muisca Confederacy of Bacatá (Bogotá, Colombia), I migrated to the Seminole people's territory in Florida in 1999. Now, I am honored to be on the ancestral territories of the Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Stillaguamish, Tulalip, Puyallup, and other Coast Salish peoples. It is my commitment to give back to the land in my own capacities while I grow roots here, doing so with the utmost respect, support, and acknowledgment of our Coast Salish cousins.

In addition to teaching, I participate in various roles that aim to advance health and social justice. I hold an MPH in Global Health and a Ph.D. in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of Washington. I am a member of the Community Health Board Coalition (CHBC), where we focus on health policy advocacy for communities that have been historically marginalized. I am also part of the Community Contract Working Group, a collaborative effort with King County officials and community leaders aimed at creating a more equitable contracting process for Community-Based Organizations.

My background in qualitative research includes ethnographic work with farmworker communities in Florida and Indigenous communities in Colombia. I have consulted for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), facilitating interviews and focus groups to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the Latinx community. Additionally, I helped implement the Childhood Obesity Prevention Program at the Florida Department of Health in Indian River County from 2014 to 2015.

A key area of my work is integrating different ways of knowing into healthcare practices and interventions, ensuring that care is inclusive and holistic, and respecting diverse perspectives and experiences.